


The Hunter

by Vizhi0n



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rise of Empire Era - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Abusive Relationships, BDSM, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Gore, Manipulation, Mental Instability, Murder, Politics, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Suicide, Terrorism, Torture, i don't know what this is, murder-mystery, uhhh defiling a corpse, unsavory activity on top of a corpse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2020-06-03 13:56:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 18
Words: 43,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19465402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vizhi0n/pseuds/Vizhi0n
Summary: After a body is found near the Chancellor’s office, private investigator Val Semper is called to find the truth.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Darth_Videtur](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darth_Videtur/gifts), [Lightpoint](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightpoint/gifts).



> Hi. So, uh, this is my first Star Wars fic.
> 
> I'm finally writing this fic, mostly because of Darth_Videtur and Lightpoint - I wasn't aware that there were works centered around Sidious and his Sith evilness, and their fics really helped me muster up the courage to dive into Star Wars - I've been a lurker for months and haven't really said anything because I'm a antsy, shy bastard XD Star Wars is such a huge universe with so much lore that it can be intimidating, even if you already enjoy the franchise. So, yeah, shoutout to them and I'm gifting this to ya'll if that's alright. This is going to be a learning curve and I did as much research as possible, so we'll see if it's accurate XD
> 
> Anyway, just a forewarning, this is not at all a happy fic. As you probably saw by the tags, there's going to be some uh...unpleasant stuff going on in this fic, particularly towards the latter half. And Sidious being, ya know, Sidious. I hope you all enjoy and we'll see where this *ahemclusterfuckahem* of a fic takes us.

The Senate Building did not peak Val Semper’s interest in the slightest. To her, it was ugly. Grotesque, even. Not a lick of creative thought had been put into the construction of the building - transparisteel was such a  _ boring  _ medium - or most of the Senate District, for that matter. It was all just...effective. 

Effectiveness was good, but it wasn’t always everything. But, Val wasn’t a professional architect. She enjoyed marveling at buildings, sure, but she wasn’t qualified to offer any improvements. Val’s qualifications were in the field of investigative work and rooting out suspected criminals. That expertise was exactly why she was in Coruscant. 

A lone maintenance worker had turned up, dead, splayed out across the hallway floor of the Senate Offices. The mere idea of someone being murdered so closely to where top government officials commuted daily was shocking, and virtually unheard of, to the point where Val had almost immediately ruled out the possibility of someone having snuck in from the outside. The Senate Offices were one of the safest and most secure places on the entirety of Coruscant.

So, she had to start her work from the inside. Which meant that she’d be spending far more time than she wanted in the offices, surrounded by politicians, and most notably, the Chancellor. 

Val had seen him once before. She’d been exiting the Opera House, alone - not many of her friends fancied the same hobbies as her. In fact, She didn’t have my friends in general - when she’d brushed up against his shoulder and, out of instinct, had made brief eye contact with the older man. He’d narrowed his eyes, but had been hastily ushered away by his entourage of important, rich elites.

Val hoped he didn’t remember her. It would inevitably lead to him asking why she was even at the opera in the first place, which would force her to explain her  _ interests _ ...something she wasn’t keen on doing. She didn’t like talking about herself. If Palpatine were as true of a politician as everyone said he was, he’d keep things professional, not personal. She would have to do the same. 

Upon entering his office and taking a seat, the decor of the place immediately peaked her curiosity - everything was red. Red floors, red walls and furniture. Red, she remembered, was the color of Naboo. Even the Chancellor’s dark robes had faint hints of red along the stitchings, and he sat with such a rigid, controlled posture that, had Val entered and the lights had been dimmed, she would have mistaken him for one of the many statues placed around his office. 

“...because of this, you and your team will be given full access to the upper floors, as well as full access to the Senate Guard’s analytical equipment and labs,” Palpatine paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow. “Miss Semper?” 

A sharp nudge from Zachery snapped Val out of her trance. She met Palpatine’s blue eyes, lips forming soft words.

“Yes. I...understand.”

She hoped she’d actually given a coherent reply. She felt incredibly  _ small _ under Palpatine’s gaze, and it wasn’t because of his position as Chancellor. 

Feeling small was something Val  _ hated _ . 

“I have faith in your abilities, Miss Semper. I do hope you can get to the bottom of this heinous crime.” 

“Do you feel safe, coming here every day?” Val asked. 

She could feel Zachary glaring at her with all the ire a security head could muster, but she didn’t care. Palpatine’s aid, an older, balding man named Sate Pestage, was glaring in kind, as if Val had said some great insult. 

She’d just asked an honest question.

“I won’t say that I’m not...alarmed,” Palpatine answered, frowning.

“Did you see the maintenance worker often?”

It was Sate Pestage who answered, apparently put off by Val’s frankness. He stepped forward, hands behind his back, and said, “Written statements from those who interacted with the maintenance worker will be in your file. There is no need to interrogate the Chancellor.”

_ Maybe now is the wrong time. _

“I’m not interrogating, I’m just...asking,” Val murmured. 

“Perhaps we can arrange a meeting, and you can ask your questions when you’ve looked into the report details. You will receive full cooperation on my end,” Palpatine said diplomatically. 

Val gave the Chancellor a small nod before taking the report in question from Sate. She stood, and Palpatine did the same. His smile was warm, a stark contrast to Val’s grim expression. 

“I truly appreciate your help, Miss Semper.” 

Once again, Val could only nod. 

* * *

Scrying Palpatine was something Val immediately vowed would only be as a last resort. He was practically a client. He had been the one to suggest her to the internal affairs department. While Val always explored every option, she’d only use her abilities on Palpatine if absolutely necessary. 

Sate Pestage, on the other hand…

Years of practice had taught her to hone her abilities, though those years of practice had gone by without a proper teacher, or even someone knowledgeable in the force. She’d used her abilities to break into the world of private investigating, and by sheer, dumb luck she’d become _ good _ at it due to her abilities. It was a useful tool when needing to get the truth out of people, and more than once had she just trusted her instinct and scryed someone who looked and felt fishy, watched their daily routine, and determined that they were a plausible suspect to pursue. Securing tangible evidence against them was the real work. 

She saw what they saw. On some occasions she’d watched them murder another victim. Sometimes, she’d watched them steal more priceless artifacts and run off without a care in the world as to who their actions hurt. She felt what they felt as well. Every touch, every emotion. Everything.

It  _ hurt. _

Only a select few knew of Val’s force sensitivity and ability. She certainly wasn’t powerful enough to be shoved over to the Jedi Order, and even as a child, her abilities had come and gone as dreams. It had taken her years to realize that the dreams she had were, for all intents and purposes, real. It had taken even  _ more  _ years for her to gain control over her scrying, and even now, she wasn’t confident that she completely knew her powers. It was a useful tool, and nothing more. 

Sate would never know that Val was seeing through his eyes as he went about his day, speaking with Mas Amedda before delivering Palpatine his daily reports. Their conversation was brief, with Sate briefly running over details regarding the investigation that Val herself already knew. Palpatine appeared calm and collected, sending Sate on his way. He was halfway out the door when Val felt her connection flutter, and then weaken. She pulled away, opening her eyes.

She was on the soft bed of her apartment. Only half an hour had passed, though Val felt as if she’d been in Sate’s mind much much longer. She took a few moments to collect herself, before rising and checking her files. 

_ Maintenance worker discovered the body precisely two hours before all senate staff and aid are required to retire for the night. There we no external wounds, and upon examination, it appeared that her neck had simply been snapped and her body placed near one of the air vents.  _

Val tossed the datapad aside. Then, she paused and snatched it up again. She made a note to have Sly Moore arrange her a private meeting with Palpatine, before finally deciding that putting her work down and getting some rest would do her more good than anything. She was exhausted. She’d had time to read over some of the reports on the trip over to the Senate District, but for all intents and purposes, she’d arrived blind.

She had no idea what her dreams would bring. Sometimes she scryed in her sleep, trapped in the minds of people she had no interest in learning extra details about. Sometimes she had normal dreams. Sometimes she didn’t. 

Most were violent and dirty, and some weren’t even originally hers. 

That was the issue with scrying. She had more thoughts than she could handle. She’d  _ seen _ more than she could handle, not all of it good. Worst of all, it began to blend her personality with personalities that weren’t own.

She  _ hated _ it.

_ Don’t. That power pays your bills and keeps you alive. _

Did it?   


* * *

Sly Moore was much, much more approachable than Sate Pestage, and she arranged a meeting for Val without question. Val went in with the intent of making it quick, striding through the halls of the Senate Offices with her head ducked and her datapad tucked beneath one arm. The door to Palpatine’s office was open, and he beckoned her inside while Sate shot a narrow glance at Val, but nevertheless, left the office. He closed the door behind him, leaving Val alone with the Chancellor. 

Val was eager for the meeting to end before it had already begun.

“Have a seat,” Palpatine gestured. Val sat, her eyes zeroing in on the edge of his desk. He fell silent for a moment, presumably waiting for Val to look at him. She very slowly and very cautiously did. He said, “You and I have crossed paths before, haven’t we?”

_ Oh, here we go. _

Val tensed immediately as realization dawned on Palpatine’s aging face. He smiled. That eased her discomfort, but only a bit. 

“At the Opera House, yes! Had I known about your involvement in this investigation then, I would have properly introduced myself,” Palpatine leaned forward. “Tell me, did you enjoy the performance?” 

“I did,” Val said quickly. “It was very...nice. Lovely.”

“I share the same sentiment. Unfortunately, art is not what we’re here to talk about.”

“It can be.” 

Palpatine chuckled, the sound smooth, and rich, and deep. “Perhaps another time. We have much more important matters to attend to. As I said, I am completely prepared to cooperate with your investigation, Miss Semper. Whatever questions you may have, I will try my best to answer.”

_ If you scry him you won’t have to ask questions. _

Val went ahead and buried that thought. She would do just as well asking him questions and manually digging things out from him. 

“Have any of your aides or the people in your proximity been acting suspicious or out of the ordinary? That includes Mas Amedda, Sly Moore, and Sate Pestage.”

“Amedda and Moore are their ordinary selves. Pestage is as impersonal as always,” Palpatine thought for a moment. “Though, one of my aides has been absent from his duties more times than usual.” 

“Give me a name,” Val paused, and then added, “ _ Please _ .”

“Lorn Lorega. He deals primarily with my Senate addresses. He is a diligent worker, and while I do hope his absences have been for pure reasons, it is unusual for him.”

One name was a start. All she needed was a face, and she could spend a few hours stuck in the back of his mind while he went about his day. It was a start. A  _ good _ start. 

“Are there any others?” Val asked.

“No. Lorn is the only one.”

“It would be best,” Val began, “For you to temporarily remove Lorn from his current position. At least, until I finish ensuring that he doesn’t pose a threat.”

“I’m assuming that would have to come with proof of his innocence.”

“Chancellor, I am not in charge of your security. I was just...offering a suggestion.”

“No offense taken. I find it reassuring that you are invested in my safety,” Palpatine said. 

Val nodded. For the first time, she didn’t tremble under his gaze. It was gentle. Incredible gentle, something Val’s profession didn’t allow her to become accustomed to.

She liked it.

Val prayed that Palpatine hadn’t noticed the flush of red across her pale cheeks. She stood, gripping her datapad tight between both hands. 

“I will call Lorn Lorega in for questioning,” Val said. “If you notice anyone else acting unusually, please let me know.”

“Perhaps once all of this is finished, you can join me in my viewing box at the Opera once night. It’s the least I can offer you.”

“Serving the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic is a reward in and of itself.”

“You’re too kind,” Palpatine chuckled and stood, walking around his desk. Val took in his dark robes and lithe form, once again unable to look him in the eye. They were on equal grounds once more, with Palpatine standing just a bit taller than Val. 

Palpatine started to speak, but the door to his office slid open and Sate entered, flanked by two other men. The first Val recognized as Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the second she  _ didn’t _ recognize, though she knew immediately that he was a Jedi as well. He was a tall man, a few years younger than Val. While he was quite handsome, Val’s attention slowly drifted over to Kenobi. 

“Our meeting must have gone past schedule,” Palpatine placed a light, reassuring hand on Val’s shoulder as he addressed the two Jedi. “I apologize, gentlemen. As you might be aware, a rather horrific crime took place within these halls. Miss Val Semper has been hired to investigate and bring the offender to justice.”

“I know who you are,” Val said, bluntly, to Kenobi. Her eyes fell on the younger man by his side. “I don’t know you.”

“My name is Anakin Skywalker. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He bowed slightly. Val decided that she liked them.  _ Both _ of them. She wasn’t nervous around them. In fact, she rather enjoyed being the subject of Kenobi’s lingering gaze.

“I’ll leave you three to it, then,” Val said. Sate made a move to escort her out, but she ignored him. She bid Palpatine a quick farewell before nodding at Anakin, and then Kenobi. Then she followed Sate, eyes flickering down to her datapad as she began to search up Lorn Lorega’s name in her files. She’d been given a list of every senate aid and every mechanic and guard that frequented the the Senate Offices, as well as copies of the security footage. It was a lot to pour over, but Val typically chose work over sleep. Sleep never came easily, anyway.

She hoped that Palpatine would pull Lorn Lorega from his current position. While Lorn could very well be completely innocent, Val wasn’t one to take chances. She didn’t like the idea of a possible murderer being so close to the Chancellor. 

_ It’s all speculation. What if he’s just been having medical problems, and hasn’t been able to attend work? What if it’s a family matter? _

_ What if...what if... _

Val grimaced, finally rid of Pestage, free from his nasty scowl. She leaned against the wall to ensure that she was out of the way, head buried in her datapad. Palpatine, as well as a majority of the Senate, had changed their schedules. Most left earlier and continued their work at home. None left without a guard or a partner. 

For their sake, she wanted the murderer caught. 

Val scrolled through the list of senators who had been present, or at least, had been in the area when the body had been found. One name stuck out, as it was one senator she had yet to properly interview.

_ Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo. _

Naboo. Like Palpatine. 

Val mentally scolded herself.

_ Stop thinking about him! And stop thinking about Kenobi! _

Both men had piqued her interest. Most men failed to do that. In fact, Val ignored most men like she ignored most people. 

Val hadn’t realized that she’d been leaning against the wall for a good fifteen minutes. It was Anakin’s light voice that pulled her from her trance, and she jumped. 

“I heard about the murder. If it eases your discomfort a bit, know that the Jedi are also looking into things as best as they can.”

He was alone, head ducked a bit, seemingly out of respect. Val straightened up and faced him. 

“The internal affairs department believes that the Senate Guard is rife with corruption. They thought it would be beneficial to hire an outsider for this particular case. I’m glad I’ll have the you and Kenobi at my side for this.”

“You seemed a bit tense in there. Did everything go well with the Chancellor?”  Anakin’s tone wasn’t accusatory, just curious. Val dropped her guard, glad that he just wanted to have a normal conversation. 

“He was lovely. Yes. It went well. I was just...I’m a bit overwhelmed. This is all just...new. I’m not from Coruscant.”

“Where are you from?” 

“Alderaan,” Val glanced down at the floor. For some reason, saying the name of her home planet felt wrong. She’d never belonged there to begin with. In fact, she’d dreaded her initial meeting with Bail Organa more than she’d dreaded her meeting with Palpatine. 

“Alderaan is a beautiful planet! Its people are even more amazing,” Anakin smiled warmly. “It’s no wonder you became an investigator at such a young age. You must have been trained by some of the best in the galaxy.”

_ Yeah. The Force. _

Val tried not to snigger. Anakin raised an eyebrow, and Val quickly said, “I don’t visit home often. There isn’t much for me there anymore.”

“I’m from Tatooine. I don’t visit much either. Nothing to really see but sand.”

“I’ve taken one case on Tatooine. An angry Tusken Raider tried to slice open my jugular,” Val said. “Needless to say, I have not returned.”

“I don’t blame you,” Anakin chuckled. “Hopefully you’ve received a warmer welcome here on Coruscant.”

“It’s busier here. Not to say that it isn’t beautiful, but everyone seems to  _ move _ differently, as if they’re in a hurry,” Val replied. “The Jedi strike me as an anomaly in this environment. So much talk about peace but none about... _ quiet _ .”

“You’ve studied the Jedi?”

“I’ve read about them. Not extensively. I’m not a force wielder,” Val said flippantly. “And even if I were, the Jedi lifestyle wouldn’t suit me.”

The last part wasn’t a lie. Being a Jedi was something Val would have never wanted, had her force abilities been more powerful. The idea not being allowed…”attachment” wasn’t exactly unreasonable, but the restraints placed on Jedi seemed like too much for Val. Just like on Alderaan, she knew she wouldn’t fit in. 

“It isn’t for everybody. Hence why not everybody with force abilities becomes a Jedi,” Anakin shrugged. “The Council encourages it, of course...I’ve never been a fan of forcing people to pursue something they don’t want.”

Val nodded. Over Anakin’s shoulder, she saw Obi-Wan approaching rapidly. 

“It was a pleasure talking with you, Anakin,” Val smiled. “Hopefully I’ll see you around.” 

“Likewise,” Anakin replied. 

Val zipped away before Obi-Wan could notice her presence. Between her talk with Palpatine and the mere sight of Kenobi, she was beginning to think that something was  _ wrong  _ with her. She was at _ work _ . This was a _ job _ . It was improper for her to even begin  _ thinking _ about Kenobi, or  _ Palpatine _ , the way she was. 

Control wasn’t something Val always liked to have.

Right now, she  _ wasn’t _ in control.


	2. Chapter 2

Val’s alarm blared early the next morning, and she immediately pulled up her datapad and checked the HoloNet News, before finally dragging herself out of bed. Her apartment was neatly stocked and homely, and all paid for by the Senate Guard. It was just a mile away from the Senate Offices, and while it didn’t exactly offer a luxurious view, it really only acted as a place for her to sleep and maybe eat.

Mornings were always her favorite, and she preferred them uninterrupted. The first few hours of the day allowed her to relax and gather her thoughts, and it was usually quiet. Quiet and slow. 

_ Usually. _

She was dressed and ready when her datapad alerted her that someone was at the door. She rose, expecting it to be Sly Moore or even the likes of Mas Amedda, but she was shocked with Kenobi - the absolute last person she expected - was standing on the other side.

“I apologize for not calling in advance, Miss Semper. Do you have a moment?” 

_ Always so polite. _

Val nodded, opening up her apartment to him. He was alone, Anakin nowhere in sight. The nervousness she felt returned, and she began hastily making tea to distract herself while Obi-Wan took a seat on one of the kitchen chairs. 

_ Offer him tea, idiot! _

Val kept her mouth shut. She began making two cups anyway. 

_ What if he doesn’t like the blend? _

“...the Council, in collaboration with the Senate Guard, have thought it best to assign a Jedi as your partner in this investigation.”

Val paused. She turned, leaving the tea to brew. “Do they not trust me?” 

“Oh, of course they trust you. It isn’t really a matter of trust as much as it is a matter of... _ haste _ ,” Obi-Wan gave a slight eye-roll. “They want this investigation cleared as quickly as possible. They believe that the task is simply too  _ big _ for one person.”

“I don’t need help,” Val mumbled. She paused, gnawing on her lower lip. She’d never taken a partner, and had never intended to. For _ their _ sake. 

“Would I get to choose my partner?” 

“The Council has offered to look through you credentials and pair you with someone they believe matches your skills.” 

“I don’t want that. I want you to be my partner.” 

Obi-Wan looked flustered. He laughed, leaning forward and saying rather shrilly, “I’m _certain_ you wouldn’t want me. There are other Jedi with talents that will help solve this case-”

“How long will you be on Coruscant?”

Obi-Wan thought for a moment, and then said, “There’s been a slight lull in the war. Anakin and I will most likely remain on Coruscant for a few months.”

“Then is there anything else that would prevent you from accepting my request?” 

“...Apparently not.”

“I would very much like you as my partner in this case, Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Val smirked. “I’m sure the Jedi Council won’t object?”

“I’ll inform them that you were extremely persuasive,” Obi-Wan said cheekily. Val offered him tea, and to her relief, he took the small cup without rejection. 

“Please do. I’ll send you everything I’ve compiled so far,” Val took a seat across from him. “I completed interviews with Senator Organa and his staff on the way to Coruscant. The only other person in the premises at the time was Senator Amidala and several members of her staff.”

“Padme is a kind soul. She’ll cooperate," Obi-Wan said softly.

"Good,” Val began, settling in. “There a few other details I need to run by you…”

* * *

Padme Amidala was not someone Val had ever encountered prior to her arrival on Coruscant. She’d taken cases on Naboo before. It was a peaceful place, but the planet reminded her much of Alderaan. 

_ Probably why she disliked it.  _

The people, on the other hand, were more like her. Hospitable. Reserved, but not to the point of outright rudeness. Padme greeted her with a slight bow, and Val offered one in return. She was a striking woman, and she had to be only a few years younger than Val herself. So young, and a Senator. Val’s accomplishments suddenly paled in comparison. 

Not that she cared. While Padme was royalty, she  _ worked _ for what she wanted. As did Val.

“News of the murder has rattled the Senate. Such a thing has never happened before. Not here,” Padme glanced down at her desk, and Val could feel her discomfort. Next to her, Obi-Wan stirred. “But it does please me to see you working diligently alongside General Kenobi.”

Val hummed, pulling up names on her datapad. “Senator, did you notice any of your staff acting strangely prior to the murder?”

“They all reported to their positions early, as usual. One member of my staff was absent two days before the body was discovered, however, she had a family emergency to attend to, and I have evidence of the fact. There is nobody on my staff I can confidently say could have possibly committed such a crime.” 

“Good to know,” Val murmured. “In your own report you write that you and a colleague were preparing to leave for the night when you were alerted by guards that a body had been discovered. Who was that colleague?” 

“Senator Mon Mothma, of Chandrila.”

“And at any time did you come across Palpatine's aide, Lorn Lorega?”

Padme thought for a moment, brows furrowing. She spoke slowly, saying, “Yes...he spoke to Mon Mothma and I very briefly. He was preparing to leave with us, as the Chancellor had already retired for the night. He disappeared shortly after and I didn’t see him leave the building again.”

“Was he alone when you spoke with him?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Yes. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I assumed he might have forgotten something in his office,” Padme replied. 

“He could have,” Val murmured. She glanced up once again, focusing on Padme’s young, angelic face. It certainly didn’t strike Val as a face that would be an accomplice to a murderer, but she knew she had to put any biases aside. She said, “Did you notice anything suspicious with the guards that night?” 

“They refused to tell us what exactly was happening, however, secrecy is common during emergencies. They did not want to worry us.”

Val glanced over at Obi-Wan, who was nodding. She made a mental note to scry several of the guards, just for precaution. 

She was going to scry Padme as well, she decided. 

All for  _ precaution.  _

“I appreciate you taking the time to answer our questions, Senator,” Val said warmly. She and Obi-Wan stood, bowing. “It was a pleasure to meet you. Perhaps the next time we talk it will be under...less stressful circumstances.”

“Yes. Let’s hope,” Padme replied. “Best of luck with the investigation.”

Val left Padme’s office with a newfound sense of urgency. The rest of the day was spent with Kenobi, pouring over data, scheduling interviews, and just  _ talking _ . 

She found that she liked hearing him talk, something she couldn’t say for anyone else. He told short stories about the war, about the missions the Jedi Council would send him and Anakin off to complete. Brief, but to the point. 

Val enjoyed his presence. She enjoyed him.

“I picked you for purely selfish reasons,” Val said suddenly. She was lounging on her couch, a cup of tea in hand. Obi-Wan was at her kitchen table, studying the notes he’d taken during their interview with Mon Mothma. “I enjoy your presence.”

“I can’t imagine it was  _ purely _ for selfish reasons. You don’t seem like the type to let your personal feelings interfere with your work,” Obi-Wan replied.

“I wouldn’t have picked you if I’d thought your skills were sub-par. Me not being annoyed by you is an added bonus,” Val smirked. “I feel the same towards Anakin.”

“I was certain you’d pick him as your partner,” Obi-Wan snorted. “The two of you seem much more compatible.”

“Maybe the next time I’m called to investigate a murder on Coruscant I could give him a call,” Val hummed. “He seems perceptive enough.”

“Perceptive enough to do  _ your _ job? I’m a bit unsure about that.”

Val chuckled. “Certainly you have faith in your own former padawan?” 

“Anakin has impressed me beyond measure. I’ve watched him go from a Padawan to a Knight, but he still has much to learn. That’s why he has yet to become a Master.”

“Sounds complicated,” Val chuckled. “I told Anakin that the Jedi life wouldn’t suit me.” 

“Well, we would have been honored to have you amongst us.”

“Would you have taken me as your padawan?” Val reclined on the couch, sipping her tea and watching as Obi-Wan stopped and turned in his chair to face her. She tried to hide her cheeky grin from behind the rim of her cup.

“That is a loaded question,” Obi-Wan said. “One that I don’t have the answer too.”

“Fair enough. You’re an honest man. I appreciate that,” Val slid off the couch, gathering the dishes. “And I really do appreciate your help with this investigation.” 

“To be completely honest with you, had you not chosen me...I would have volunteered,” Obi-Wan said timidly. “It’s grown apparent over the years that I prefer having something to occupy my time.’

“The famous Obi-Wan Kenobi doesn’t know how to relax? I’m surprised.”

Obi-Wan shrugged. “I wouldn’t say that I don’t know how to relax…”

“You’re like me. You like being busy,” Val said.

“It keeps the mind sharp and focused.”

_ There are other ways to keep the mind sharp and focused. _

Val ducked her head, mentally kicking herself. It hadn’t gone unnoticed to her that she and Obi-Wan were alone. And it was dark. 

No, no, she couldn’t do that. They were in the thick of the investigation, and she couldn’t ruin it by trying to crawl into Obi-Wan incredibly tight,  _ incredibly nice _ ,  _ form fitting _ pants -

“...is something wrong, Val?” 

“N-no,” Val choked. Her legs suddenly felt like jelly, and she pulled up a chair next to Obi-Wan. “I think I’m just...tired.”

“You’ve had a rather taxing day,” Obi-Wan said sympathetically. “You ought to get some rest.” 

“Yeah,” Val said softly. “Yeah. You too.”

“Sly Moore has scheduled an interview with Lorn Lorega for you. Let me know if you require my presence,” Obi-Wan stood, retrieving his cloak from the back of the couch. He bowed his head and said, “Thank you for the tea. Have a nice rest of your night.”

Val could only wave. She was mentally kicking herself over and over, watching him leave, a voice in the back of her brain screaming at her to just ask. Just ask that he stay the night. 

_ What if he says no? Then the rest of the investigation will be awkward. Or, worse, he drops out, and you lose the one person on Coruscant you actually consider a friend! _

She thought of failure clouded her judgment, and she could only watch as Obi-Wan left her apartment. She felt like she’d been punched in the back of the throat, and the minute the door shut, she slumped forward. 

_ Shit.  _

Val was going to force herself to put her childish crush on Kenobi behind her. She had too. The investigation would be  _ torture _ if she didn’t. Obi-Wan was a great ally, a legendary Jedi whose skills were her ticket off Coruscant. 

She retreated to her bedroom, tossing her datapad on the nightstand and flopping against the sheets. She screwed her eyes shut, trying her best to fall into a relaxed state - scrying was much more difficult with a busy mind and tense body - and tried to focus on Senator Amidala’s pretty face. 

Val suddenly opened eyes that weren’t her own. Padme’s mind was a firestorm, a million emotions crashed into Val that she’d felt only a handful of times. 

_ Love. Devotion. Joy. _

_ Pure, unadulterated lust. _

Curiosity got the better of Val. It was clear what was happening, but she was curious to see the man, or woman, who’d captured Senator Amidala’s attention in such a way. A hand ghosted across Padme’s bare chest, and Val, through Padme’s own eyes, saw a mop of brown hair disappear between her legs. 

Val didn’t need to see a face to know who it was.

_ “Oh, Ani..”  _

Val recoiled and pulled away immediately. She jolted upright, gasping, her skin glistening with sweat. 

_ She shouldn’t have seen any of it.  _

The implications weren’t important to Val. She could have cared less who Padme was screwing, but every touch had felt  _ real _ , and her core was throbbing with an arousal that didn’t - _ shouldn’t _ \- belong to her. It was something Val had only felt once before, when she’d scryed a younger man and had been witness to his...unsavory sexual practices. The brutality of it had sickened Val. Being inside his head had sickened her, but also awakened a curiosity she’d vehemently shoved deep within her and locked away forever. 

_ This isn’t you. This isn’t you, it’s here. This isn’t you. You’re here, alone, in your bed.  _

_ You’re you. You’re not her. _

Sometimes Val wondered if she truly believed that.

* * *

“I’ve called Lorn Lorega to my office. He should arrive any moment now,” Palpatine tapped perfectly manicured nails against his desk, peering up at Val. “You don’t seem too keen on interviewing him.”

“Like any potential suspect, part of wishes for closure, and part of me...doesn’t. I hope Lorn Lorega is innocent, but I won’t say that the idea of settling this once and for all isn’t...discomforting,” Val stood up straighter. “I don’t let it cloud my judgement.”

“As you should.”

“However, if Lorn Lorega leads us to the culprit, or if he _ is _ the culprit, and we manage to close this case, I just might take you up on your earlier offer.”

Val cringed at her use of the word “we.” Palpatine wasn’t her partner. He wasn’t Obi-Wan. 

He was something strange, and just as intriguing, to her. 

“I would be delighted to have you. It appears you and I have similar tastes,” Palpatine raised an eyebrow. “Do you have a particular medium you enjoy more than the other?” 

“Architecture,” Val said shyly. “My job has allowed me to travel to various planets, from Chandrila to Naboo. Every building, every structure, is different, and made to match the planet’s environment and in some cases, its people. I guess I just find it...fascinating to learn about and look at. I enjoy literature, as well. Most of my job is spent reading grisly coroner reports, so I need...happier words to look over every once and awhile.”

“You make an effort to educate yourself, something that I admire and appreciate,” Palpatine said coolly. “I find that harder and harder to come by these days.”

“Most just like to be spoon-fed information through the HoloNet. I don’t blame them. The galaxy is a busy place, and not everyone has the time,” Val shrugged. “Learning is encouraged on Alderaan. There was never a shortage of knowledge to chase. I guess I’ve kept that part of my home planet with me.”

“A trait the Naboo share,” Palpatine’s eyes twinkled with something Val couldn’t quite place. “Knowledge is integral. It’s my belief that one can never have too much.” 

“Depends on what the knowledge is,” Val murmured. “I know too much about architecture, and I’m never going to use it.”

“Oh, don’t say that! What if you retire and decide to design homes in your spare time?” Palpatine exclaimed. Val practically melted under his warm smile. “The galaxy could always use more artists.”

“I’d much rather build nothing than build something and have it b shot down by Seperatists,” Val said bitterly. Palpatine’s face fell, and she said, “I...I didn’t mean to sour the mood. I apologize-”

“Don’t. I understand that this war seems never ending.”

“It’s worse for you than it is for anyone. I’m sure you have the Senate at your throat every moment,” Val said. “There’s a reason I steered clear of politics.”

“It isn’t a game everyone can play.”

“You play it well,” Val replied. Palpatine’s gaze softened, and he leaned back in his chair. “Better than anyone I’ve encountered.”

Val chuckled, and she saw Palpatine give a slight, satisfied huff, as if he wasn’t used to such praise. The door to his office slid open, and he tensed up immediately. Sate Pestage entered, an older man trailing behind him. Val clutched her datapad, taking up position next to Palpatine. Lorn Lorega had a timid demeanor, and barely made eye contact with anyone. He sat down, folding in on himself. Even after Sate had gone to stand by the door, he was still trying to make himself look smaller. 

Val prayed that Palpatine’s presence alone would convince Lorn to be truthful. It would be one thing to lie to an unknown investigator, but another to lie to the  _ Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. _

“I’m assuming Pestage briefed you, and why you’ve been called here?” Val said Lorn nodded, clutching the arms of his chair. He was nervously glancing back and forth between Val and Palpatine, as if he were unsure of who to look at. “It is in everyone’s best interest that you cooperate and answer the questions I’m about to ask you  _ truthfully. _ ”

“I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I never said that you did anything wrong,” Val said, readying her datapad. “I just want you to be honest. Can you do that?”

“Y-yes.”

“Good,” Val smiled. “Please give me a detailed-walk through of your usual day.”

Lorn was staring at Palpatine, as if he expected his boss to save him. When Palpatine said nothing, he mustered up some courage and said, “I..I report in, and I begin going over bill proposals before meeting with the Chancellor. I typically then spend the rest of the day planning various Senate addresses. The night of the...murder, I decided to stay late and catch up on some work I hadn’t been able to get to. I was instructed by the guards to leave, as there had been an incident.”

“On your way out, did you happen to bump into any Senators?” 

“Y-yes. Senator Mon Mothma and Senator Padme Amidala were expressing their concern.”

Val pursed her lips. Palpatine had yet to move or say a word. She said, “Senator Amidala stated that you turned and ran back inside the building.” 

“I did,” Lorn Lorega ducked his head. “I’d forgotten...my datapad in my office.” 

Palpatine bristled, nails lightly tapping against the arm of his chair. He said nothing, but Val could tell something in Lorn’s testimony had bothered him. 

“Continue,” Val said. 

Lorn cleared his throat. 

“I grabbed the datapad, and then asked a passing guard for details of the emergency. He simply said that a body had been discovered, and that they were clearing the offices. I didn’t ask any more questions, and departed as soon as I could.” 

“Did you happen to notice any suspicious behavior from the guards?” 

“None at all.” 

Val finished documenting Lorn’s testimony. She looked him up and down - he appeared to be trembling, eyes focused on the ground. With a sigh, she said, “You can go. You might be called later for another round of questioning.”

Lorn Lorega practically scrambled out of the room, with Sate following close behind to ensure that he returned to his office. Val walked around Palpatine’s desk, slouching into one of the chairs. He still had the same sour, displeased expression on his face.

“Lorn Lorega was lying.” 

Val snorted. “He seemed uneasy. I chalked it up to nervousness.”

Palpatine leaned forward. “His datapad was not in his office. It was in mine, right  _ here _ ,” he tapped the center of his desk with one long finger. “My office was locked, as I’d left for the night an hour or so earlier. If he did indeed retrieve it, he either breached my office after hours or came in early the next morning and took it before I could notice.”

“I’m glad you were here, or else I wouldn’t have caught that,” Val made a quick note. “Did you notice any other inconsistencies?” 

"No. He remained far more composed than I’d anticipated,” Palpatine chuckled.

“None of the guards I interviewed, save for the one he interacted with briefly, noted seeing him. His office is near yours, is it not? There were guards swarming that area.”

“Correct.” 

Val hummed. “I will look into this further, Chancellor. I appreciate you being here, since Kenobi was unable.”

“I must say, this investigation is moving much faster with the two of you working together,” Palpatine stood, and Val did the same. “I’m surprised the Jedi Council heeded my recommendation.” 

“It was  _ your  _ idea?” 

“I might have made a  _ slight  _ suggestion to the Senate Guard, who in turn, relayed it to the Jedi Council,” Palpatine smiled.

“I’m glad you’re just as invested in this as Kenobi.”

“I’m invested in  _ you _ . I felt an obligation to ensure that you were given all the proper tools to do your work swiftly and surely.”

Val felt her cheeks immediately heat up. His words hadn’t even been suggestive, but just the sheer fact that he’d openly admitted to putting her personal feelings first. She wasn’t used to such a thing.

“I, uh...thank you.” 

“It’s my duty as Chancellor. I can’t help but feel an inkling of responsibility.”

“Just because someone was killed near your office doesn’t mean you could have done anything to prevent it.”

“Yes, but with Lorega as a suspect…” 

“We don’t know if he did it or not,” Val stepped forward. She desperately wanted to reach out and touch him, but she forced herself to keep a grip on her datapad. “If he did, it still wouldn’t be your fault. He’s been on your team for _six years_ , and I’m sure when you hired him he didn’t have a murderous bone in his body. Things happen. People change. People turn out to be...not who you thought they were.”

“As a politician, I should be used to that,” Palpatine stared out the window, scowling. “Still, this is all quite _jarring_...”

Val, ignoring all the signs that doing so was a bad, bad idea, reached out and placed rested a palm against his shoulder. His eyes briefly flickered down to her small hand, and her breath nearly stopped when his own fingers rose and began massaging her soft skin. He visibly relaxed, and Val let out a soft exhale. 

“This…” Palpatine seemed to struggle with his words. “This is _overstepping_ professional boundaries-”

“I don’t care about that,” Val blurted. 

“Perhaps, if you’re agreeable to it, we could meet privately and discuss your findings regarding this case. I would be quite interested to hear the details.”

“I’d like that,” Val had to try and keep the giddiness out of her voice. “I’d like that a _lot_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hookay. So my usual style is to write an entire fic and then edit as I post, which I what I'm doing for this one - so updates are going to be all over the place until I find a schedule that feels comfortable and not annoying to you guys XD
> 
> Obi-Wan is absolute my favorite Star Wars character (Palps comes in at a very very veryyyy close second. So close that I'd say it's almost a tie) so this is just an excuse to write him. And angst. There's a lot going on here and I think Val is just as befuddled as I am XD


	3. Chapter 3

“You seem tense. Is something wrong?” 

“I’m fine, Anakin,” Val sipped her tea. Obi-Wan was at his designated spot at the kitchen table, flicking through Val’s notes. Anakin had tagged along, and for the first time, Val’s apartment felt populated to her. She wasn’t used to guest. 

She suddenly felt Anakin reach out a bit with the force, and she flinched, giving a silent indication that she’d felt him try and see her thoughts. When he pulled away, she said, “Anakin, I’m  _ fine _ .”

“This investigation has taken a lot out of you. Maybe you should rest and let Obi-Wan take over for a bit.”

He wasn’t wrong. Val was exhausted, but she certainly wasn’t going to admit that. The main cause of her restlessness was coming from her encounter with the Chancellor, something she also wouldn’t dare admit. For now, she would have to resort to half-truths and hope neither Anakin or Obi-Wan caught on.

“If I rest, it’ll be after I figure out what’s going on with Lorega.”

“Lorega? _ Lorn _ Lorega?” Anakin questioned. Obi-Wan shot her a look, and Val threw up her hands. 

“It’s technically considered ‘classified’ information, so I can’t give you details,” Val said. “Sorry, Anakin. It’s not that I don’t trust you.”

_ I’ve violated protocol too many times, anyway. _

“Oh, I understand. I’m familiar with secrecy,” Anakin replied dryly. “I just don’t want you passing out on the job.”

“That’s only happened  _ once _ .”

Anakin snorted into his tea. Obi-Wan suddenly stood, glancing over at his former padawan, and then Val. 

“I’m going to consult with the guards stationed on the lower level. Anakin, please do not take up too much of Miss Semper’s evening.”

“I’ll leave at a reasonable hour. She’ll  _ make _ me leave at a reasonable hour,” Anakin said slyly. Obi-Wan nodded, and locked gazes with Val. He appeared as if he wanted to say something, but thought better of it. He departed, leaving Val and Anakin alone to sip on their still-warm tea.

Once the door was shut, Val sat up from the couch. 

“I didn’t want to say this in front of Obi-Wan, but I understand that you have...secrets, just as I do,” Val let out a breath. “You and Padme shouldn’t have to hide.”

Anakin very nearly choked on his tea. He set the glass down, wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, and said, “How do you know about us?”

“I’m a private investigator, Anakin. It’s my job to investigate.  _ Everyone _ . I’m trained to notice things other people aren’t,” Val said flippantly. “I’m saying this to you because, if for some reason I end up having to question you, I don’t want you lying to cover you and Padme.”

“Don’t bring this to the Jedi Council-”

“I wouldn’t. I have faith in Padme’s innocence, and, yours. I’m not here to investigate an affair between a Jedi and a Senator, so it’s of little concern to me.”

“...she’s my wife.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s not an ‘affair,’” Anakin huffed. “We’re married.”

“Congratulations,” Val replied. “You know I’m not going to pass judgment, right? While I understand the Jedi’s opposition to attachment, I’m not in favor of rigorously following a code. If you and Padme truly believe that you should be together, so be it.”

“Better not say that in front of Obi-Wan,” Anakin mumbled. “He’s a stickler for rules and regulations.”

_ Good to know. Especially since I’m trying to get into his pants. _

“Obi-Wan wants what’s best for you, I’m sure. He strikes me as the type who cares, but who’s concerns sometimes seem...misplaced. I wouldn’t hold anything against him.”

“You’re only saying that because you feel something for him.”

“A-Anakin!”

“You couldn’t shield your desire for him even if you tried,” Anakin laughed, and Val turned beet red in the face. “You’re exactly how I was with Padme.” 

“Does he know?” 

“If you haven’t noticed, he’s much more oblivious to those types of things. He’s probably too focused on this investigation.”

“The investigation will end, eventually. You think I have a shot after?” Val asked, hopeful. 

A sad look passed across Anakin’s face, but he quickly wiped it away. He stared down at his tea and said, “I, uh...I don’t know. I can only nudge Obi-Wan in your direction, nothing more.”

“Nudge away,” Val waved a hand. “What exactly do I have to lose?”

* * *

After Anakin left for the night, Val retreated to her room and nestled into her bed. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what meditation techniques she’d read about - she needed to be relaxed to scry. Relaxed, and preferably alone. 

Lorn Lorega’s aging face flickered through her mind, and she was suddenly there, in his head. He was walking rather briskly, datapad tucked beneath his arm, through what Val thought to be the Senate Offices. She could only follow his gaze, so it took her a moment to realize that he was beneath the offices, in the storage level. 

Instantly, Val was suspicious. She stuck inside Lorn’s mind, watching as he seemed to stop in front of a wandering guard. Instead of being detained, the guard simply nodded. 

_ “You were almost caught today,”  _ Lorn snipped, chastising the guard.  _ “I told you, be more careful. That Semper woman can sniff out a lie from a mile away. She has the Chancellor on her side as well." _

_ “I won’t let it happen again. I requested to be transferred to a lower level.” _

_ “Kenobi is scouting out the lower levels. Just stick with the truth you told Semper, and you’ll be fine.” _

Val’s eyes shot open. She’d been launched from Lorn’s head, her time spent. She shot up, mouth open as she sucked in air. 

She didn’t know how long she sat on her bed, head ducked as she worked to clear her mind. Getting her own emotions back in check, making sure that she knew who she was, took some time. It wasn’t until her datapad hummed that she moved, reaching over and slapping it on. She saw a message from Sly Moore, and immediately perked up.

It was a confirmation time. She was scheduled to meet with Palpatine.

_ Tomorrow. _

* * *

When Palpatine had said the word “privately,” he’d meant it. 

“After hours” would have been a better way of phrasing it. After hours meant that most of the Senate Offices were empty, save for a few stragglers, and most of Palpatine’s staff had turned in for the night. No Mas Amedda, no Sly Moore, and most importantly, no Sate Pestage to sneer and turn his nose up at Val. She wondered if Palpatine had taken that into consideration when he’d scheduled the meeting.

She entered the Senate Offices with little questioning - the guards were used to her by now, and accepted that most of her time in the offices were spent doing work so that their jobs would be made less stressful. She made her way up to Palpatine’s office, finding the door open and him at the small, soft-looking couch over in the corner. In his left hand he held a glass that appeared to be filled with wine, the bottle sitting open on his desk. 

“Please close the door behind you,” Palpatine said warmly. Val obeyed, and then shuffled across the room and took a seat opposite of him. She wondered, briefly, how many women - or men - had been invited to her office under the pretense of “business.” There was nothing “business” about the wine in his hand and his relaxed posture, yet for some reason, Val felt more at ease around him than she ever had. 

She almost  _ hated _ that she had to bring up Lorn Lorega and do some _ incredible  _ mind-games when it came to explaining what she’d found. Palpatine seemed trustworthy enough, but she wasn’t sure how he’d react if she outright said that she’d been using the force to aid her in her investigations. 

The little exchange she’d witnessed between Lorn and Nes - she’d managed to pick out the guard from the list of profiles she had on the Senate Guard - concerned her. There was absolutely no logical reason for Lorn Lorega to be sneaking around the storage area, and absolutely no logical reason for him to instruct a guard to  _ continue _ lying. He’d become a prime suspect in Val’s mind, and now she had to convince Palpatine that she was right without spilling her secret. 

“As of now, Lorn Lorega is who raises the most suspicion,” Val flicked through her datapad. “I’ve gathered enough data to determine that he is a threat, though not necessarily guilty of the crime. I think multiple people were involved in this.”

“And how did you come to this conclusion?”

Val grimaced. “I have a Jedi on my side, Chancellor. A  _ good _ Jedi. He can detect things others can’t-”

“A Jedi’s intuition will  _ not _ hold up in court. While I don’t doubt Master Kenobi’s capabilities, I suggest you search for more... _ physical _ evidence,” Palpatine leaned forward. “Do you have the means of doing so?” 

“I do,” Val clenched her datapad. “I just wanted to relay to you the information. His lie was enough to make me suspicious. At the very least, that’s grounds for temporary removal from the Senate Offices, is it not?” 

“Discipline, yes, removal, no.”

“I’ll have Kenobi shadow him,” Val waved a hand. Her eyes absently drifted over to the wine on Palpatine’s desk, and he stood. Before she could protest, he’d begun pouring her a glass. “Oh, I...you don’t have to do that-”

“This is blossom wine. It helps soothe the mind,” Palpatine handed her the glass, and she took it much too eagerly. “I know you have appearances to keep up, Miss Semper-”

“Val. You can call me Val...call me Val, please.”

“ _ Val, _ ” Palpatine smiled. “I know you have appearances to keep up, but you don’t have to put on a face right now.”

“You see right through me,” Val said dryly. She sipped the wine - it was sweet, and a bit tangy. It felt smooth going down her throat, and almost immediately, she felt herself relax. “Thank you. I like to pretend that I don’t need things but...I needed this.”

“You’re welcome to a bottle. I have more than enough.”

“I wouldn’t want to take any of that. I’m sure you need it more than I do,” Val chuckled against her glass. She stared at Palpatine, eyes lazily tracing over his face. “Naboo is known for its wine.”

“Alderaan is known for its women. The finest in the galaxy,” Palpatine replied. Val nearly froze beneath his gaze, and she clutched her wine glass.  _ That _ wasn’t subtle, nor could it be interpreted as anything other than a tease.

“I’d hardly call myself an Alderaanian woman.” 

“Then what exactly would you call yourself?” 

“ _ Me _ ,” Val sipped her blossom wine. “Someone who would very much like the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic to get over and  _ touch _ me.”

Neither of them had moved. Palpatine’s fingers itched against his glass, and very slowly he went and set it down against the glass table adjacent to the couch. For a brief moment, it looked as if he’d oblige. He was a politician first, and a man later, and much to Val’s disappointment, he shook his head slightly.

“Such a thing would be entirely improper.”

“ _ Improper _ ,” Val scowled. “You sound like Kenobi.”

“If there is one trait the Jedi and I share, it is our appreciation for a code of conduct.” 

“Is there a law on Coruscant about not fucking a private investigator that I don’t know about?”

Palpatine seemed amused by Val’s crude language. He said tersely “It isn’t a matter of what  _ I _ want. I have an image to keep.”

“So you admit you’d fuck me?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“Then why did you invite me here?”

“I invited you here to discuss your findings,” Palpatine replied casually. “And to make you an offer. You spoke on your enjoyment of literature - I have quite the collection of books here. I wanted to open up this space to you.”

“O-oh. Thank you,” Val stammered. 

“Perhaps you might find something useful. I’m not sure if I have anything on criminal justice in Coruscant, but you could always look and see.”

Val stood. Palpatine did the same, and then stared at each other for a moment. Eventually, Val gave a slight bow and said, “I’m extremely grateful for your hospitality, and I can’t help but feel as if I’ve...abused it.”

“How so?”

“I came here and took advantage of your generosity. I believed you were attempting to _court_ me-”

“ _ Val _ ,” Palpatine sighed, his voice so incredibly soft that Val almost _ melted  _ \- at that very moment, she would have given anything to share his bed, protocol be damned. “There is no need to apologize. If anyone is at fault here, it is me.”

“May I make a request of you, then?”

“You may.” 

“Kiss me.”

He smiled. He was closer, suddenly, and then Val was  _ drowning _ in him - his scent, the touch of his robes against her skin, his mouth against her own. Needy. Breathless. 

She could feel wine on his lips. It tasted  better.

He pulled away first, and Val gently rested her forehead against his jaw. After a while, she stepped away and gave a small bow. 

“I have to go. Thank you for extending your personal library to me,” Val didn’t dare look into his eyes. “I’ll keep you updated on the case.”

“Please, do,” Palpatine nodded and retrieved his glass.

“I enjoyed the wine.”

“I still have an extra bottle. You are welcome to it at any time.”

“Perhaps,” Val chuckled. She found the energy to leave his office, thankful that Sate Pestage wasn’t outside waiting. She didn’t know if she’d have been able to face him. She didn’t know who she’d be able to face - guilt, giddiness, joy, and a bit of sadness swirled through her body like a summer storm. She didn’t know what to feel,  _ how  _ to feel. 

She didn’t realize she’d left her datapad in Palpatine’s office until she reached her apartment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...looks like Val and Palpatine are getting *acquainted*
> 
> Honestly I'm having such a fun time writing Anakin. XD You'll see a lot of him in this fic because of that.


	4. Chapter 4

Anakin, thankfully, was the one to deliver it to her the next day. 

He found her leaning against the wall of the main lobby, and immediately approached, dismissing himself from a conversation with Bail Organa and Senator Amidala, sliding over to Val and offering her the datapad.

“The Chancellor instructed me to return this to you. It was left in his office.”

Val snatched it back, relieved to have back her notes. Anakin was watching her curiously, and after a while, he said, “What were you doing in his office so late at night?”

“How do you know I was in his office?” 

“Well, we spoke briefly yesterday during the evening, and you seemed to be in possession of your datapad _then_ ,” Anakin smiled. “You must have gone over there after hours.” 

“So what if I...did - Anakin, what are you implying?” 

“ _Nothing_. I’m just curious.”

“You’re implying something. You have _that_ grin on your face.”

Anakin shrugged. “I know what it’s like to sneak into the Offices late a night, trust me. I used to do it with Padme when we first got married.”

“Anakin, Palpatine and I are _not_ like you and Padme. We were just going over some case notes. He likes to be in-the-know,” Val said flippantly. “You do realize if anything happened, I’d tell you, right? Considering you’re the only one I’d trust with personal information like that.”

“I’m honored that you think so highly of me.”

“Considering you’ve kept your marriage a secret for, what, three years, you must be doing something right,” Val said softly. “Thank you for bringing me my datapad.”

“Try not to lose it again. Those notes are important,” Anakin tapped her shoulder, and she chuckled. He made his way back over to Padme, and Val couldn’t help but smile. They were a good looking couple. The strong, resistant Jedi and the powerful, yet sympathetic Senator.

In the back of her mind, Val couldn’t help but envy them both. She wished she could say the same about her and Palpatine, or even her and Obi-Wan. 

Both men seemed so _untouchable_ . Palpatine wouldn’t give in to his own desires, and Obi-Wan was such a stickler for the Jedi code. It was almost.. _.useless_ to try, yet for some reason, Val was drawn more and more to each man with every passing day. 

The hologram projector on her datapad beeped, and Val quickly answered it. Her vision was suddenly filled with Obi-Wan. 

“I’ve finished conducting a thorough search of the lower levels. None of the guards offered any worthwhile information. It appears the murderer didn’t stick around after committing the crime.” 

“I guess that’s good,” Val scowled. She leaned in closer and said softly, “I need a favor of you, Kenobi. Starting tomorrow, I want you to shadow Lorn Lorega from the time he wakes up to the time he goes to sleep. I can send you details of his work schedule, and the location of his home. I simply need you to keep your distance and watch what he does.” 

“A novel idea. I will do so.”

“Thank you, Obi-Wan,” Val’s tongue suddenly felt huge in her throat, and she looked away. Even though the bluish, lifelike hologram wasn’t _him_ , she still felt as if he could see right through her. “I spoke with the Chancellor last night. We both believe that there are multiple people involved in this case. Possibly members of the Senate guard.”

“Should I alert the Council?”

“Not yet. Not until...I need to snoop around some and confirm my suspicions. There were some things about Lorega that just didn’t add up. I feel it in my gut.”

_And in the Force._

“Alright. Keep me updated,” Obi-Wan made a move to turn off the hologram, but stopped suddenly. He seemed to be analyzing Val, and then said, “ _Please_ get some rest.”

“I will.”

“You cannot hope to possibly function at full capacity when you’ve gotten so little sleep. This is a _partnership_ \- we must both pull _equal_ weight. If you need me to do more...please, just tell me.” 

“I will,” Val said shrilly. When several senators looked over in her direction, she said shakily, “I’ll...I’ll let you know. I promise. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Val.”

Val wasn’t going to get a lot of sleep tonight. She’d known that, and she’d almost waited and asked Obi-Wan to assist her later before remembering that he was a bit more on the _strict_ side when it came to protocol. He was unwavering, while Val was willing to waver. 

She stayed at the Offices until Senators and staff began to trickle out for the night. It was then that she found Nes. She could immediately recognize him, despite his face being concealed beneath his helmet. His voice gave it all away, and Val could feel his eyes on her as she walked past. 

Val was taking a risk. A huge, _huge_ risk, and she almost backed out before remembering that, for all intents and purposes, she was _right_. The force had not lied to her. She’d seen Lorn Lorega tell Nes to obstruct justice.

All she needed now was for Nes to _admit_ it. 

Shift change came at night, and Val watched from the shadows as Nes was relieved of his duty by another blue-robed, tight-lipped guard. It was when Nes took off his uniform that he became a much softer target for Val. He left the Senate Offices unarmed, with Val staying close, but not too close, behind. 

As opposed to taking a speeder, Nes took public transport. It made Val’s job much easier - she wouldn’t have to duck in an alleyway and scry him, something she knew she’d eventually have to do. 

Val was able to track him a few blocks, her hand tightly gripping the stun baton concealed beneath her cloak. Nes would overpower her, easily, if given an opening.

So she just had to be sure he’d didn’t get that opportunity in the first place. 

When Nes turned down a vacant alleyway, Val pulled herself from the flow of civilians. Not being seen wasn’t her priority anymore, and when they got far enough away from any prying eyes, Val spoke. 

“This isn’t the way home.”

“Of _course_ it isn’t,” Nes replied, unfazed by Val’s sudden appearance. “You’ve been following me. I wanted you off my tail.”

“I’m in the middle of an important investigation,” Val got closer. Nes’ posture was lax, the opposite of how he was in-uniform. He was running under the assumption that Val wouldn’t dare do anything rash. She was smaller than him, weaker than him. 

“There’s _nothing_ to investigate here. Do you really thing a member of the guard would be foolish enough to conspire with the Republic’s enemies? What do you take me for, some Seperatist spy?” Nes spat.

“I never said you were a spy. I never accused you of anything, actually. I just _have_ to cover all of my angles. Nobody escapes my eye, not even you.”

Nes glanced around, before sneering. “Where’s Kenobi? Did you let your Jedi _pet_ off his leash for once?”

“Kenobi isn’t here because I don’t need him right now.”

“You don’t ‘need’ him? How will you complete this investigation without the _force_ on your side?”

“I don’t need the force.”

“Debatable,” Nes said, and he struck. Had she not been armed, Val would have been on the receiving end of Nes’ incredibly fast, well trained fist. He hadn’t anticipated that she’d had a stun baton, and she unsheathed it just in time. 

Val used her baton to pump volts of electricity into his body. Nes dropped like a sack of rocks, groaning. Each time he tried to stand, Val forced him back down.

Nobody would hear his cries. They were in the back alleys. Vagabonds and criminals lurked down here, and those same vagabonds and criminals certainly wouldn’t care if they found a Senate Guard being treated unfairly.

In fact, they’d applaud it. 

“I know you and Lorega are up to something. _You_ were told to lie,” Val shocked him again. Seeing him writhe on the ground felt exquisite, and she shocked him again for good measure. “You have no ground t-o stand on.”

“You have no evidence.” 

“Kenobi is gathering evidence as we speak. Lorega has already confessed to his crimes,” Val lied. “He threw you under the bus. Told me, word for _word_ , how ‘you were almost caught’ and how I can ‘sniff a lie from a mile away’. You requested to be transferred to a lower level.”

Val was making sure to recall what she’d seen, verbatim. It made the situation more believable. It made it seem as if she’d forced a confession was Lorn, and that Nes was now on his own. 

“Lorn roped me into this mess-”

“How many of there are you?” 

“Five,” Nes spat. “Five of us.”

“Give me names.”

“No. You caught Lorn and I fair and square. You’ll have to catch the others,” Nes groaned. Val allowed him to get up on his knees.

“You’re going to be brought in for attacking me.”

“You were going to attack me first,” Nes snapped.

“You can’t _prove_ that,” Val shook her head. Something told her to shock Nes again, and she did. He fell back to the groan.

_Again._

_Again._

_You don’t want him dead._

_What difference would that make?_

She didn’t need the Senate Guard suspicious of her. They already weren’t fond of her, and killing one of their own wouldn’t win her any favors. 

_Kill him!_

The feeling of the baton in her hand felt familiar. Like in some past life, she’d used it or something similar, to inflict pain. 

_Kill them!_

The feeling of a hand around the end of the baton pulled her out of whatever force-induced trance she’d been in. She’d made a disastrous mistake and had let her guard down, and Nes had a tight grip on her weapon. She pulled back, but he held it firmly.

Val shocked him, but he shook it off and swung Val in a wide arc until she made a shattering, painful connection with the side of a wall. The baton flew from her hand and before she could move, Nes’ fist finally made the connection he’d so desperately wanted.

Blood erupted from Val’s nose. She was disoriented, and when she made a move for her baton, she found that it, as well as Nes, had disappeared. 

_Shit. Shit. Shit!_

Val stumbled down the alleyway, trying to get her bearings. She was disoriented, but not to the point where she couldn’t navigate her way back to the Senate Offices. The walk back was painful and awkward, as her cloak was stained with her own blood and she was fairly certain she’d dislocated _something_ , if not bruised a few ribs. By the time she reached the massive building she’d managed to stem the flow of blood from her nose, but she still looked as if she’d been tossed from a moving speeder.

She went straight to Palpatine’s office, praying that he was still available. The two Redrobes standing guard made no indication that she wasn’t permitted to enter.

“Val, dear - _what happened_?”

“An incident over near the monorails,” Val coughed. Palpatine moved briskly, helping Val sit on the couch. He closed the door to his office, giving them privacy - she could see him looking her over, and his hands began checking her over for any serious injuries. 

“And you came to me?” 

“Y-yeah, because it concerns the case,” Val drawled. “Can I just...just for a minute, can I sit?”

“Take your time.”

Val steadied her breathing. She was trying not to focus on the pain, and instead work on stringing coherent sentences together in her brain. She wanted to tell him - she had to tell him, and she had to tell him the truth.

“Do you trust me?” Val suddenly asked. “Not as an investigator, but do you trust... _me_? Val?”

“Of course I do.”

“Okay. Good. I...I just need you to trust me,” Val swallowed, staring at the soft, silken red carpet of Palpatine’s office. “I’ve been using the force throughout all my investigations. I’m not a Jedi. I couldn’t be a Jedi, but I can see certain things. I can force my way into the minds of others and see what they see. I saw Lorn Lorega tell Nes to lie, and I pursued Nes, and questioned him. He attacked me and ran away.” 

“Tell me what you learned. When you questioned Nes, what did he say to you?” Palpatine reached out to steady Val, keeping warm hands on her waist. 

“He said that there were four people involved. He said nothing about the murder, just that he and Lorn Lorega weren’t alone.”

“Did he give you names?”

“No, no names…” Val trailed off. She pitched forward, and Palpatine kept her in place. “He hit me. I’m s-sorry. This all probably seems so sudden…”

“You gathered substantial evidence. This case can, and will, move forwards,” Palpatine murmured. “If Nes did indeed attack you, he has _no_ defense. I will inform the Senate Guard that he is to be stripped of his position, effective immediately. He is a wanted criminal.”

Palpatine reached out and touched her face. Val leaned into him, heedless. His kisses were insistent and stronger than last time. Her fingers clenched against the front of his robes, and heat surged between her legs. He didn’t push her away, and instead held her close. Val sank against him - he was so _warm_. 

“I should inform Obi-Wan,” Val murmured against Palpatine’s mouth, her mind suddenly jolted back to reality. “He’s probably worried.”

“ _Perhaps_ ,” Palpatine groaned. He’d pulled away, his eyes studying Val’s kiss-swollen lips. Slight indignation flashed across his face, and Val mentally berated herself for bringing up Kenobi during such an... _intimate_ moment. “Speak with him. Yes. That would be best.”

Val steadily rose to her feet. Palpatine kept a hand on her arm, and he said, “Would you like an escort home?”

“N-no. I can make it.”

Palpatine nodded, and in a soft voice, replied, “Your secrets, however big or small they may be, are safe here.”

“Thank you, Chancellor.”

Val barely had enough energy to walk to her apartment, but she did so anyway. A private escort would have been embarrassing. The only thing she wanted right now was to be alone, and the minute she reached her room she undressed, bathed, and flopped onto her bed. The sheets felt incredibly soft, softer than usual, and eventually she drifted off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Val is breaking the rules, Obi-Wan is concerned and Palpatine is sneaky. What's new.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bad news: this chapter is really gross and disturbing.
> 
> Good news: this is the grossest chapter in this entire fic. Maybe not the most disturbing but...the grossest 
> 
> Anyway, you have been warned. If you dislike gore/blood/violence, I sincerely apologize.

“Val, I’m glad I caught you before - what  _ happened _ ?” 

Val looked like a wreck. She  _ knew  _ she looked like a wreck. She’d woken with a pounding headache, and the dark circles beneath her eyes were even more pronounced. She had a nasty bruise on her jaw which wasn’t doing her any favors, and her chest felt constricted and tight - she’d begun to wonder if she’d walked away from her encounter with Nes with bruised ribs.

Obi-Wan was standing at her door, having knocked several moments earlier. He’d greeted Val cheerfully, but was now staring at her in horror. 

“Last night was... _ eventful _ ,” Val groaned. She gestured for Obi-Wan to enter, and he did. “Nes ran. I went to question him, and he attacked me.”

“ _ Attacked _ you?”

“Y-yeah,” Val shook her head. “He ran off. I don’t know where he went. What of Lorega?”

“I followed Lorega all day yesterday, and he appeared to stick to his usual schedule. If he noticed me, he made no indication of it,” Obi-Wan rushed forward, catching Val as she stumbled. He guided her over towards the couch and said, “For force sake, Val, you need to see a medic!”

“I’m fine. I’m just bruised. And  _ tired _ ,” Val did not push him away, leaning into his touch a bit more than she probably should have. 

“We  _ must _ apprehend Nes.”

“He’s already been stripped from the Senate Guard. He’d be a fool to show up to work-”

“I will go after him.”

“I’ll come with you-”

“You  _ won’t _ ,” Obi-Wan said firmly. “You are to stay here and rest. I’ll inform Anakin and have him come with me. Do you know how many others might be involved?”

“He said five.”

“Five guards?” Obi-Wan pressed.

“I don’t know. He just said...five,” Val sighed, closing her eyes. “Kriff. Kriffing  _ kriff _ -”

“Why the harsh language?” Obi-Wan gripped her shoulders, steadying her. “Calm down. What’s wrong?”

“I was so  _ stupid _ . I should have known that he would run.”

“If he were innocent, he wouldn’t have attacked you. Besides, you managed to gather some valuable information.”

Val chuckled. Obi-Wan leaned in close, and she absently let her head rest against his shoulder. “Yeah,” she groaned. “I’m just...tired.”

Obi-Wan stood, offering Val his gloved hand. She took it, and he gently guided her to her feet. His fingers brushed a strand of hair out of her face, and he looked at her so _ fondly _ \- Val, for once, couldn’t interpret his feelings. She wanted to take a leap of faith what she’d done with Palpatine and kiss him, but for some reason, she couldn’t. He still seemed so unreachable, like there was something beneath the surface.

_ Probably the Jedi Code. _

“I’ll head to the Senate Offices and get to work,” Val murmured. “If you manage to find Nes, call me.  _ Immediately. _ ” 

“I am never going to get you to rest, am I?”

“You’re a good man, Kenobi. I appreciate the concern,” Val patted his chest and began gathering her things. They went their separate ways, with Kenobi calling up Anakin and Val heading to the Senate Offices. 

She knew she looked worse for wear. The bruise on her jaw was pronounced, the blotted purple flesh a stark contrast to her pale skin. At one point she passed by Padme, but the Naboo Senator was kind enough not to comment. Her first stop was the Chancellor’s office, and her insides throbbed at the thought that they’d possibly be alone. 

Val absently checked by Lorn Lorega’s office, finding it empty. That was unusual. From what she’d read of Obi-Wan’s detailed account of his schedule, he usually stayed in his office during the midday. 

It was currently midday.

Lorn Lorega was nowhere to be found.

Val toyed with the edge of her datapad, eyes scanning the hallways. Guards were stationed near the Senate Chamber, gazes concealed beneath their helmets. If they were scrutinizing her, she would never know. 

_ Odd.  _

Val headed to the Chancellor’s office anyway, keeping her head ducked as she walked. She nearly ran smack into Sate Pestage, who growled and said, “If you’re looking for him, He isn’t in his office.”

“Where is he?”

“He went to the storage units to scour for old documents.”

“Alone?” 

“Of course. He isn’t an invalid," Sate sneered.

_ Kriff. _

“I’m well aware of that, Pestage,” Val snarled. She pushed past him and began making her way down each level, moving briskly, though not so quickly that she brought attention to herself. Maybe she was overreacting. Her beating heart wouldn’t calm until she saw him, safe. She headed down to the lower, lower levels - the temperature dropped slowly, and the only lurkers were service droids and the occasional maintenance worker. 

The doors leading to the storage section of the building were wide and bulky. Upon approaching, they slid open for Val, revealing what had to be dozens and dozens of rows of shelves and steel boxes. The place was dimly lit and  _ massive.  _

Val began making her way down the rows, moving slowly, ears open. She could hear speaking over in the far right corner, where the small loading bay was located. She made her way over, fingers curled into fist. 

She ducked down as a light swept across her field of vision. The voices were louder, now, and familiar.

“...you will unhand me right this instant! You are threatening a Senator of the Republic! You have disgraced your most sacred duty!”  
_Organa._

Val got on one knee. She closed her eyes, trying her best to stay as quiet as possible. She reached out, finding the mind of Lorn Lorega and watching things through his eyes for as little amount of time as possible.

Bail Organa and Palpatine were on their knees, their hands bound behind their backs. A small speeder was stationed near the docking bay. Lorn Lorega was standing over them, a blaster in hand, while two others stood armed and by his side. 

“Lorega,” Palpatine said, the epitome of calm. His eyes were pleading, and, unlike Organa, he was remaining still and not struggling against his restraints. “This is absurd. The Senate will  _ never  _ consider your request.” 

“They’ll consider it when the Chancellor and an Alderrainian Senator appear on the HoloNet, begging for their life.” 

“I’ll never beg to you,” Bail spat. 

Lorn cracked him over the head with his blaster. The impact shook Val to the core, and Organa fell, either dead or unconscious. Val tried not to scream - she’d felt Lorn recoil in disgust at Organa’s words before he struck.

“You are making a  _ monumental  _ mistake,” Palpatine said softly. “I beg you to reconsider what it is you are doing.” 

“Do you want me to knock you out next?” 

“Of course not. I want you to talk to me like the civilized man I know you’re capable of being.  _ Six _ years of service and you’ve never shown a  _ hint  _ of animosity towards me, or towards the Republic.”

“I don’t hate you, and I don’t hate the Republic. I hate what it’s become. Politicians all scurrying around each other like rats. This war is dragging on. People are whispering of corruption. People are whispering that  _ you’re  _ corrupt.”

“I am as pure a man as any other politician. I have my own set of transgressions, but everything I do, I do for the survival of the Republic.”

Val could feel the anger swelling inside Lorn. He was going to lash out, soon, and strike Palpatine just as he did Bail. 

She didn’t trust that Lorn wouldn’t let his anger overwhelm him and end up killing Palpatine in the process.

Val moved, pulling out of Lorn’s mind and moving in closer. One of Lorn’s comrades had left his rifle leaning against the parked speeder, just a short spring away from Val’s location. 

She had a short amount of time to spring, grab it, aim, and fire. 

It was a risk she had to take. 

Val waited until the right moment - Lorn and his cronies had turned their back to her - and ran. She sprinted, and by the time she was halfway there one of the guards turned and shouted.

She dove, grabbing the blaster and aiming. She fired one shot that struck the guard in the leg and then another that sailed wide and singed Lorn Lorega’s cheek. She briefly saw Palpatine move, but she was too focused on firing her weapon. 

Her finger had barely squeezed the trigger when one of the guards gripped the high-powered blaster and ripped it away from her. Gloved hands tugged Val by the hair, and she _ screamed -  _

He flew backwards, as if yanked by an unseen object. Val barely had time to breath. One guard was on his knees, nursing a hole blown through his thigh. Lorn Lorega was bleeding profusely from the shoulder and the guard who had put his hands on Val lay, crumpled and groaning. 

“H-how-”

“Hush, dear,” Palpatine, free of his restraints, knelt by Val and gently touched the bruise on her jaw. “It’s alright.”

“Y-you,” Val struggled to breathe, gripping Palpatine’s robes. “How did you-”

_ Use the Force?  _

_ He had to have used the Force. _

Val’s mind was fuzzy. Palpatine led her over to Lorn Lorega, and Val grabbed his blaster from the ground. It was bent, as if a giant hand had crushed it into the shape of a baton. 

_ He did this. _

_ Palpatine did this. _

The three men were lined up next to one another, Val could feel Palpatine’s grip on her, his fingers rising to caress the back of her neck. Bail Organa lay in the corner, still out cold. 

“We have to call the guards upstairs,” Val said. She made a motion to do so, but Palpatine stopped her.

“Don’t.  _ We _ will deal with this,” Palpatine’s voice was low. “These three men are traitors to the Republic. Treason is met with death. So, they will die.”

Val almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing. 

“That’s murder - that’s-”

“It’s justice,” Palpatine said simply. He shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He seemed unaffected by Val’s stare, and he gently reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. The touch was gentle, almost a caress. Warmth flooded through Val’s body. 

She felt the same way, holding this bent blaster, that she had with Nes. It was familiar in her hands. 

_ She’d done this before. Somewhere. Somehow. _

_ Traitors. _

“How,” Val murmured. “H-how. How will they die?”

“By your hand, of course.”

“I don’t want to kill them.” 

“Of course you do. They are an affront to everything you stand for,” Palpatine replied casually. Lorn Lorega, still nursing his wound, began looking back and forth between Val and Palpatine. His eyes were watering, one hand clutching long, blackened, steaming line that ran from the edge of his mouth to his ear. 

“Lorn,” Val said calmly. “Did you kill that maintenance worker?” 

“N-No,” Lorn groaned. “No. We didn’t.” 

“You’re lying. Tell me the truth.”

“We didn’t. None of us laid a finger on her, I  _ swear _ ,” Lorn ducked his head. He was crying, now. Sobbing. 

_ Pathetic. _

Val ripped the helmet from the guard next to him and brought the twisted blaster down, hard. The blunt end caught him in the face and knocked several teeth clean from his mouth. Blood erupted from his nose and splattered all over Lorn and all over Val.

The blow was enough to shatter his skull, but not enough to kill him. Val made sure the next several hits did the trick.

A body fell forward. 

_ “Tell me the truth!”  _

“We killed her!” Lorn shouted. “We did it. We killed her. Is that what you wanted? Is that what you wanted to hear?” 

It was like a drug. The blaster was coated in blood. Val’s hands were coated in blood. 

_ So much of it, everywhere. _

Val killed the next guard. He took three hits and then went down. 

“Please, no,” Lorn was sobbing as Val advanced towards him. “No,  _ no _ -”

Palpatine grinned.

Killing Lorn Lorega felt satisfying. It was the type of satisfaction Val enjoyed, like a hot, candle-lit bath after a long, grueling day of hard work. Simple, yet close to the heart. With each blow Val grit her teeth, challenging herself to break through his skull and spill his brains across the ground.

_ You’ve done this before. You’ve killed before. _

Lorn was a bloody mess against the floor. Val dropped the makeshift blaster- baton, swayed on her feel, and then fell into Palpatine’s arms.

“You did well. So, _ so _ well.”

“I don’t feel well.”

“How you feel is... _unimportant_ at the moment. What matters is that you finished your mission,” Palpatine crooned. He cupped her face between his hands, and then kissed her. It was languid, as if they had all the time in the world. Val’s eyes shot over to Bail Organa's unconscious form, and she heard Palpatine murmur, “He won’t be waking anytime soon. Don’t worry. We have time.”

Val stripped off her shirt. She sunk to her knees, pulling Palpatine with her. He was placing, hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses against her neck and chest, his own nimble fingers playing with the buttons of her pants. 

Lorn Lorega’s blood was sticky against her bare back, but Val didn’t care. She pulled down her pants, rucked up his robes, and reached a hand between them. He jutted against her questing hand and she squeezed, his length heavy against her palm. Blood was pounding in her ears and blood felt cool against her skin. Dead eyes stared over at her from a crushed skull. She could feel her head bump against Lorn’s chest, and she tilted so that she could use his body as a cushion for her thrashing head.

_ She didn’t care. _

It hurt a bit - she wasn’t wet enough to take him, yet, but he pushed inside her anyway. Palpatine was still the perfect image of control, his gaze focused firmly on Val’s chest as he snapped his hips forward and finally claimed her,  _ all of her _ , and drew a high-pitched squeal out of Val that she’d never known herself capable of producing. He felt good, suddenly, and he felt right. Things felt  _ right. _

_ Everything is alright…. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, that wasn't so bad *cackles*. 
> 
> Poor Bail. It's a good thing he was unconscious for all of that. Anyway, the investigation is "over." or is it?


	6. Chapter 6

The investigation was officially closed. 

While none of the culprits had been tried, the one’s suspected in the murder had been killed in self-defense by Val Semper, as she attempted to rescue Senator Bail Organa and Chancellor Palpatine. Obi-Wan Kenobi had engaged Nes and some of his followers, and had been forced to kill them. 

Nes had lied. There hadn’t been four. There had been a dozen, some guards, some staff, that had conspired to kidnap Organa and the Chancellor and hold them for ransom. In the midst of it, a logistics aid had discovered their plans and Lorn Lorega had silenced her.

That was the report. That was the truth, now, even if it wasn’t.

Val didn’t particularly mind it.

Her time on Coruscant was slowly coming to an end, and she’d eventually have to start looking for work - she had enough money to stay for an extended period of time, and Coruscant was always seeking investigators, but a part of her almost wanted to say goodbye to the metropolitan planet. 

Almost.

Palpatine was here. Obi-Wan was here. Anakin, one of the only people she’d ever genuinely considered a friend, was here. They weren’t out there. Out there was... _ different _ . She’d almost grown accustomed to her apartment, accustomed to her time in the Senate Offices. 

Val supposed she could stay a little while.

She’d seen a medic like Obi-Wan had instructed. Her ribs had been bruised and she’d suffered a mild concussion, but none of those injuries were serious enough to keep on bedrest, or to keep her from calling Kenobi to her apartment.

“I thought you would have left already. Your job doesn’t keep you in one place,” Obi-Wan politely declined when Val offered to brew some tea, something that was unusual of him - Val had almost come to memorize the particular blend he enjoyed. 

“I’ve decided to stay. On Coruscant, at least for a while,” Val replied softly. “Traveling doesn’t offer much of a...home.”

“Why not return to Alderaan?” 

“Alderaan isn’t my home. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t bat an eye if Alderaan were blown to pieces,” Val sat next to Obi-Wan. “I have more of a connection to the depths of  _ space  _ than I do Alderaan.”

“Don’t let Organa hear you say that. Although, I heard he’s spoken nothing but praise for you after you rescued him.”

“Hard to believe we come from the same planet, right?”

Obi-Wan chuckled. “I’m just surprised you enjoy Coruscant more than Alderaan. Rolling hills and oceans seem more your type than...speeder filled streets and high-rises.”

“I like Coruscant for the people.”

“You?  _ Liking _ people?”

“I like it for... _ some _ of its people. Mainly for you.” 

Kenobi’s jaw tensed, and he seemed to sink into his chair. “Val...I believe we need to have a discussion.”

Val froze. His tone wasn’t accusatory, just hesitant. Like he didn’t want to have such a “discussion.”

“Okay,” Val walked over to the couch and sat next to him, placing her mug of tea on the table. She sat up, crossing her legs and facing Obi-Wan to show that she was fully engaged. That alone seemed to discourage Obi-Wan even further, and he eventually just sighed and deflated.

“Anakin informed me of your...how did he put it…’ _ infatuation _ ’ with me - ugh, ‘infatuation’ seems so  _ negative _ …’crush’? No, too childish,” Obi-Wan stumbled over his words. “Ah, wording is besides the point. Anakin has seemingly been making it his  _ mission _ to get me closer to you.”

“If he was making an effort, he failed miserably. You haven’t even told me what planet you’re from.”

Obi-Wan chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. “Yet you know how much I like chamomile tea.”

“That’s called being  _ observant _ .”

“I  _ do _ feel close to you, you know,” Obi-Wan said softly. “But I... _ can’t _ . My heart belonged to another and even if I could, the Jedi aren’t too fond of earthly attachments.”

“Obi-Wan, if you have someone else-”

“I  _ did  _ have someone else. I see her every time I’m with you. She was strong-willed, intelligent...perhaps this is just me projecting but...I can’t give you what you want, Val.”

“You don’t know what I want.”

“I’m not ready. Not yet. I’m sorry.”

_ Crushed  _ wasn’t the right word to describe how Val felt. Nor was disappointed, or distraught, or upset. She couldn’t let Obi-Wan see that she was near tears. 

“I’m...sorry,” Val murmured, ducking her head. “I understand. I just...want you to do what’s best for you.”

“Anakin meant well. He wants me to find happiness,” Obi-Wan replied. “I will, in time.”

_ And not with you. _

“I’ll be here, if you need me,” Val said. “Even if I’m not  _ here _ , I’ll be here.  _ Always. _ ”

“As will I.”

* * *

Val finally took Palpatine up on his offer to join him at the Opera House. His seats were perfect, right about center stage, overlooking everyone and everything. The box was cozy and inviting, and the minute Val arrived, Palpatine beckoned for Sly Moore and Sate Pestage to take their leaves.

Val took the seat next to his, happy that she was close to him. She had questions. So, so,  _ so _ many questions, and they were high up enough that it would be impossible for them to be heard by anyone. 

She was in her happy place, surrounded by art and patrons of art. And Palpatine, who, admittedly, counted as both.

_ See? This is much better than what Obi-Wan could have given you. _

_ As if you even know what Obi-Wan could have given you. _

“Something is troubling you,” Palpatine spoke softly. Ever so subtly he reached over and let his hand rest across her own, his smooth fingers massaging her skin. “Speak to me, sweet girl.” 

“I’m just tired. I’m still...processing things. Processing what happened.”

“Lorn Lorega is dead, as are his followers. It is a shame Obi-Wan was forced to kill Nes,” Palpatine murmured. “He could have stood as a shining example of the Senate Guard’s corruption.”

“It seems as if nobody trusts anybody anymore.”

Palpatine gave a small snort. “That is an entirely accurate statement. It’s why I choose to be mindful of who I keep around.”

“I’m staying on Coruscant for a bit, I’ve decided.”

“Good.”

They watched the opera in silence. For some reason, Val couldn’t focus. The music almost always caught her attention and pulled her into a harmonious daze, but this time, she was solely focused on the man sitting next to her.

“You’re a force user,” Val said softly. “I know what I saw in that storage unit. You can use the force like a fully trained Jedi-”

“I made a conscious effort from an early age not to pursue the Jedi Order. My sensitivity in the force, like your own abilities, was honed and strengthened over time. Politics has always been my true calling,” Palpatine stopped stroking Val’s hand. “I wasn’t going to let the force keep that from me.”

“I need to learn.”

“You need someone to teach you,” Palpatine said. 

“Y-yeah. I want that to be you. I want you to teach me or...guide me. I don’t know what I can do - well, I know what I can do, but I can never distinguish what’s the force and what’s not.”

“I will help you master your abilities. I will be your teacher,” Palpatine smiled, flashing white teeth. He began to rub circles against the tops of Val’s fingers. After a while, he said, “You’ve had an interesting fixation over the past few months.”

“Kenobi?” 

“Yes. You have  _ feelings _ for him.”

“I  _ had _ feelings for him. Not anymore. Just a fixation...that’s all he is or ever was,” Val murmured. The performance was coming to a close, she realized. 

Nobody would be able to see the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic casually holding her hand, as if they were an old married couple. She desperately hoped that this was a precursor to something else. She had an intense desire to feel him again, and to feel him  _ properly. _ No blood, no rough floors. 

Val wondered if he could read her mind. She hadn’t seen his full capabilities, yet, and he was rather quick to drag her from the Opera and back to his own private apartment. Val barely had time to study the ornate walls and shelves filled with precious art from Naboo, Alderaan, Mandalore, and countless other planets before she got lost in the taste of him. His thin lips were like fire against her skin, and for the first time Val was able to  _ feel _ him. They weren’t in any rush. There was no threat of being seen. They were alone, wrapped up in each other - Val couldn’t help but smile up at the ceiling as Palpatine’s lips trailed down her neck. 

Val’s heart was full, but she didn’t know what it was exactly full of. The thought of being in love with Palpatine was oddly absurd to her, but deep down, she knew that it was a possibility. The way he mapped her body with his nimble fingers made it seem as if he already knew her, as if they’d been lovers in some past life. Maybe -

“Val, dear?” Palpatine slowed his movements. His hand floated away from her bare breasts and came to rest around her waist, lightly squeezing the skin there. His chest was heaving, his robes piled around him. His hair was a mess from where Val had been tugging at it, and his cheeks were flushed red. He looked so different from his usual, dignified self. 

Val loved it. She loved what she could do to him. 

She leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss. She said, “I was just...thinking.”

“Don’t think,” Palpatine murmured. “You want this, don’t you? You want me?”

“Yes,” Val breathed. His fingers were suddenly massaging the tight muscle between her neck and shoulder. She swayed, lips stretching into a smile.

“Good girl,” Palpatine’s hand lazily floated from her shoulder, to her cheek. He brushed his knuckles across Val’s soft skin before cupping her face between his hands, murmuring, “Look inside my mind.”

“You want me to scry you?” 

“Yes. Go on,” Palpatine smiled. “I want you to see what I feel for you.”

_ He’s giving you permission.  _

Val took a shaky breath, closing her eyes and slipping inside the depths of Palpatine’s mind. What she saw wasn’t the weary old mind of a politician, but the mind of someone who’s outward appearance betrayed his true nature. He was sharper, smarter, more  _ powerful  _ -

Val gasped. Waves of desire flooded through her, and she pitched forward into Palpatine’s arms. She gripped his soft skin, moaning against his neck. She felt his fingers slip inside of her, and she fell back against the satin red sheets of his bed. 

She was experiencing his pleasure, as well as her own. It was an indescribable feeling, something she’d never dared attempt with any of her previous lovers. She’d never trusted herself, and she’d never had a partner that she trusted as much as she trusted Palpatine. 

Feather light fingers traced her skin. Palpatine’s thin lips curled upwards, and he leaned over Val. She could feel his length exposed and pressing against her thigh. He caged her with his body and all she felt was heat. His heat. His desire was like a flame that she couldn’t - and didn’t want to - escape. 

He sunk into her, and the fire increased. It was raging, now an inferno. 

A few solid thrusts had Val squealing, clutching him as he claimed her like a man starved. 

_ I feel all of you. _

Being inside of his mind was an intimate experience that Val doubted Palpatine had extended to anyone else. By the time she came down from her high she was panting, dots of sweat beading around her breasts and forehead. She looked up at Palpatine and fluttered her eyelashes. He leaned down and kissed her, hard, scooping her into his arms and rolling over onto his back. 

They said nothing for a long while. Val gently eased out of his mind, soaking in the last few minutes of pleasure. 

“Thank you,” Val murmured. “Thank you for letting me... _ see _ you. I’ve never experienced anything like that.”

“I wanted to be your first,” Palpatine said softly. 

“Can we...do it again? Sometime? If you’ll allow me?”

“Of course. It’s not like you’re the  _ only _ one who gets something out of it,” Palpatine winked, and Val snuggled against him. “Our minds were linked through the force. You could feel me, and I could feel you.”

Val lifted her head a bit. She asked, “How did you discover that you were a force user?”

“When I was a boy. It was all rather sudden and confusing,” Palpatine mused. “I, of course, didn’t know what to do with myself. I knew I didn’t want to become a Jedi, so I hid.”

“You’re still hiding.” 

“Yes, but it is for the best. I would certainly be accused of using my abilities to obtain my position as Chancellor,” Palpatine replied. “Such a scandal would throw our current government further into chaos.”

“I agree that Coruscant doesn’t need any more chaos. It just...pains me that we both have to bury parts of ourselves.”

“We won’t have to bury anything when we’re around each other. Perhaps that will bring you some solace,” Palpatine absently began playing with Val’s dark hair. She couldn’t see into his eyes, but from the way he was methodically twirling the strand around his fingers, she could tell that he was deep in thought. “The Jedi Council would not take too kindly to a force-sensitive official, either. They already disfavor me as it is.”

“I wouldn’t say that. Kenobi respects you, and Anakin absolutely idolizes you. He considers you a mentor. I think, sometimes, the Jedi fear what they don’t understand,” Val rolled back over, lying on her back, shoulder to shoulder with Palpatine. She felt the sheets rustle as he pulled them up over her body before nestling beneath them as well. “Fear is natural, but it shouldn’t be...permanent. If it’s persistent, that means that you might not be as strong as you think you are. That’s what my father believed, at least.”

Val cringed. She was an adult, almost thirty years old, and thoughts of her father and mother made her recoil like a struck animal. 

“Your father was a professor, was he not? A brilliant one,” Palpatine said. 

“Yeah. Brilliant.”

“Is that a false assumption?”

“No. He was smart,” Val sighed. “My mother was smart, too. Both of them had great careers. I…”

“I know that they both perished several years ago. I won’t ask for details,” Palpatine turned his head and kissed her shoulder. “I apologize for broaching the subject. I’ve forgotten that not everyone processes familiar deaths the way I do.” 

“Your family-”

“Passed when I was a boy. That was a long, long time ago,” Palpatine said. “I’ve found that part of embracing the force fully means letting go and moving on. You cannot allow ghosts of the past to haunt you. They only keep you from recognizing your true potential.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready to let go of...them,” Val closed her eyes. 

“Then I will help you. I am your teacher now, am I not?” 

“You are.”

_ And you’re all mine.  _

_ All. Mine. _


	7. Chapter 7

“When I was killing those guards...I felt like I’d done it before,” Val murmured. “It was familiar to me. It didn’t bother me the way it should - I’m not a killer. I’ve never been a killer.”

Palpatine’s grip around her waist tightened. She was staring at the red ceiling of his bedroom, trying to keep her mind away from the harsh memories of the bent blaster cracking across Lorn Lorega’s skull. The sound, the gurgles he’d made as he choked on his own blood, were constant. She’d hear it for the rest of her life. 

Lips touched her bare shoulder, and Val shivered. 

“Would you like me to distract you?” 

“I’d like you to _talk_ to me. You _know_ the force. What’s _wrong_ with me-”

“ _Nothing_ is wrong with you. You are an extremely gifted woman. Using the force to fully enter the mind of another and _stay_ in their mind is a rare ability. There could be remnants left over from the violent criminals you’ve been force to scry.”

“It’s not that. I know when something isn’t me. This was _me_.” 

Palpatine pursed his lips, studying Val’s face for a moment. He slowly reached out, the pads of his fingers very lightly touching her temples. 

“Close your eyes.”

Val obeyed. 

She felt him reach out with the force, and she instinctively recoiled - it felt weird, so have someone prodding and poking her mind. He was inside of her, inside all of her memories and thoughts and emotions, picking his way through until he reached the underbelly and unearthed things she’d never thought could inhabit her head. 

Suddenly she was a ten year old girl again, standing at the edge of one of Alderaan’s many woods. 

There was blood on her pants. And on her shirt. 

There was blood everywhere. She could smell it and taste it. The body on the ground was fresh. A boy. His throat was punctured, torn open as if he’d been mauled by a wild animal. 

Val’s mouth was filled with blood. Skin that wasn’t hers clung to her lips.

She _screamed._

Palpatine pulled away, but the memory was still there. Details came rushing back to her so fast and her head felt as if it were going to erupt. Val stumbled from the bed and ran, naked, to the refresher. The top of her head nearly slammed against the rim as she bent over the stainless steel toilet and emptied her stomach. 

She didn’t know how long she knelt there. She heard soft feet against the floor and a cool hand touched her bare back. Eventually, after washing her mouth out until it felt raw, she trudged back into the bedroom. 

Palpatine was nowhere in sight. Val waited for him, and after a few minutes he returned, clad in a dark robe, with tea. 

“Drink.” 

“I don’t-”

“ _Drink_. It will help the headache,” Palpatine said sternly. Val did so, nodding in thanks. 

Val sipped her tea. After a few moments, she let it rest on the bedside table and hugged her knees against her chest. 

“I killed someone. I b-bit someone’s throat out and k-killed them-”

“I saw. There is nothing to be ashamed of, sweet girl. It was in the past,” Palpatine gently stroked the back of her neck, looking upon her with sad eyes. “You used the force to protect yourself from the truth.”

“I-I locked away the memory?” 

“Yes, possibly without realizing it,” Palpatine replied. “You’ve killed before, Val. It is in your nature.” 

“That’s not who I am-”

“It _is_ . Acknowledge it, and _embrace_ it.”

Val closed her eyes. Palpatine’s soft ministrations against her skin continued, and she said, “Have you ever killed before?”

His movements stopped.

“Of course. Many times.”

“Did you enjoy it?”

“I take no pleasure in such a quick, simple act,” Palpatine continued to massage her skin, this time trailing his fingers down her neck. Val leaned into his touch, addicted. “I do not let it weigh on my conscience. You shouldn’t either.”

“I can’t help it.”

“Your parents raised you to be kind, and merciful. It is against your upbringing to harbor such feelings,” Palpatine murmured. “Such a sweet, innocent girl. What was it that ruined you?”

“I don’t know,” Val choked. She could taste her own tears, and Palpatine eagerly kissed them away. Val held on, raking her nails down his chest before slipping her hand beneath his robe. She grasped the hardening flesh between his legs. He angled his hips, pressing his mouth against the shell of her ear. 

“Don’t provoke me.”

“Or what, _Chancellor?_ ” Val sneered. His eyes became alit with a fire she’d never seen before, and without warning, she found herself on her back beneath him. She could feel his hardness against her thigh, his tip leaking against her skin. One of his hands tangled in her dark hair, and his lips engulfed hers. It was the most titillating, satisfying experience she’d ever felt. She could feel his body, and she could feel _him_ , through the force. Val buried her nose against the juncture between his neck and shoulder as he slid inside her smoothly. 

She reached out further with the force. If she scryed him, she would see darkness - his eyes were screwed shut, his teeth grit as he pounded into Val with such ferocity that the bed itself was shaking with each thrust. 

Val touched the recesses of his mind. She saw nothing. She felt everything, and all she felt was lust. Pure, unadulterated lust. The only thing he could focus on was her. The only thing on Palpatine’s mind was _Val._

Val’s attention-starved psyche could have sworn that she’d fallen in love, right then and there.

Val’s rational mind, the mind that dominated her daily life, _scoffed._

Palpatine groaned, spilling inside her just as Val came with a cry. As he pulled out, he pressed a chaste, open-mouthed kiss against her shoulder before rolling onto his back. His eyes remained closed but he wasn’t asleep.

Val could only lay there, her breasts covered in goosebumps from the sudden gust of cool air from the vents above. Her body was already sore, but that was to be expected. He’d kept such a firm, secure grip on her that it was sure to leave bruises.

“I should get going,” Val said. “It’s late.” 

“Stay,” Palpatine murmured. “Share my bed for tonight.” 

“I don’t want to intrude-”

“I would be a neglectful lover if I didn’t extend the offer,” Palpatine said, his tone holding no room for an argument. “Stay. I insist.”

“Do you love me?”

“What? My dear, I-”

“Do you love me?” Val repeated. She sat up, staring down at Palpatine, who lay as lax as an alleycat. “I _need_ an answer.”

“What you _need_ is rest.”

_Kenobi didn’t love you. Couldn’t. What makes you think he’s capable?_

_You can’t even love yourself._

“I suppose you’re right.” 

“Sleep,” Palpatine reached out and pulled her against him. “And, if you must know, I am _incredibly_ fond of you.”

_That’s not enough._

“I’ve become selfish. You’ve given me a taste of true affection, and I want more,” Val chuckled. “I’d be your wife if you asked.”

“I feel as if I am far past marrying age, Val. You, on the other hand, are young. You have a career. You certainly must realize that _this_...will not last forever.”

“I want it too.” 

“Do not neglect the reality of the situation. This is temporary,” Palpatine gazed upon Val’s sad face, and said, softer now, “I’m not saying that I prefer it to be, but it is reality.”

Val said nothing. She let her head drop against his chest. Palpatine’s personal droid zoomed into the room, but he waved it away. He gave a verbal command and the lights dimmed slowly, until the room was dark. 

“Tomorrow, we will begin your training.”

* * *

They did begin their lessons the next day, however, their schedules permitted their subsequent meetings to only be at night.

That wasn’t to say that Val didn’t see him. She was taking up a smaller robbery case in the underbelly of Coruscant, but she occasionally had time to visit the Chancellor’s office under the guise that she was assessing documents seized from Lorn Lorega’s office. While that was truthful, it wasn’t the _whole_ truth. Palpatine always greeted her with a smile and a sigh of relief, as if she were his escape.

On some days, he’d take her - he’d have her across his desk with his head buried between her legs. Once, he’d rucked up his robes, slammed her against the wall, and fucked her until she could barely speak. Recently, he’d bent her over his desk and pounded into her like a man starved, his nails digging into her slender hips. Val’s stare had on the door, directly ahead. While Palpatine had locked it, it was titillating to think about the horror on Mas Amedda’s face or, better, the absolute _disgust_ on Sate Pestage’s face should they somehow walk in and witness their boss engaging in such a carnal act. It wasn’t like Val would have really cared - they were keeping it a secret, yes, but had things gone her way, she would have walked out of his office with his cum trickling down her thighs. 

Each time, she was awed by his strength and stamina and the flex of hidden muscles beneath his robes. With each passing encounter, it was becoming easier and easier to shove her remaining feelings towards Obi-Wan out of her mind. Palpatine was an exquisite, unique, _powerful_ creature that demanded Val’s full attention. He’d come to map her body perfectly, and he knew what made her writhe and scream and whimper. 

Val looked around his dimly lit apartment, and then out the one-way window. Coruscant was a spectacle of lights as far as the eye could see. Nothing about Coruscant had screamed “special” to Val. Even its architecture was lackluster. Sure, the Opera House was lovely, and the Jedi Temple was a work of art, but that was about it. 

“Have you been working on your meditation?” Palpatine said. His personal droid rolled over, offering Val tea - she took it, nodding in silent thanks to the droid. She then faced Palpatine, staring at him over the edge of her cup.

“I have, every morning. It’s helped me with my scrying...I can do it quicker. I don’t want to have to be completely relaxed when I enter someone’s mind - I should be able to do it under stress.”

“Well, you know it’s possible. You were able to do it when you rescued Organa and I,” Palpatine sat across from her. “You were under a considerable amount of stress then.”

“I was focused on saving you and Senator Organa I...it was like it just forced itself to work…”

“It was a matter of self preservation. You would have been killed had you not taken action,” Palpatine replied. “It did not force itself. _You_ made a _choice_. Your abilities cannot. Now you just have to replicate that.” 

“I don’t know how.”

Palpatine pursed his lips, tapping patterns against his teacup. “Do you remember why you killed that boy?”

Val shivered. His gaze was hard, leaving no room for rebuttal. Val said softly, “I think...he...touched me. Tried to kiss me-”

“He tried to force himself on you?” 

“No, no...I just...he was trying to be cute about it.”

“So, you killed him?” 

“I did,” Val was crying, now. Palpatine made no move to comfort her. “I don’t know why. I don’t know why I blocked the memory.” 

“It was instinct. You were unaware, but now, you are aware. You _mus_ t be. It has to come to you as easily as breathing - _that_ is how you know you’ve truly mastered the force.”

Val thought for a moment. “It’s effortless to you, then?”

“Yes.” 

“You must have had a good teacher.” 

“Yes. He was...one of the best,” Palpatine wasn’t smiling.

“Is he still alive?”

“No,” Palpatine didn’t look ashamed. Though he’d hesitated to answer, he apparently knew her well enough. Val’s would wriggle the truth out of him. 

“Did you kill him?” 

“I did.”

“He deserved it, I bet,” Val grinned. She could have sworn that she caught a twinkle of genuine, raw affection in his eyes. 

“It is only natural that the strong destroy those who are weak. I had grown more powerful than he,” Palpatine said dismissively. “I did what I had to do. Just as you did with Lorega.”

“Yeah,” Val murmured. She sipped her tea and stared across the table at Palpatine. “I’m getting more and more used to that. The meditation might be working.”

“The objective is to get you comfortable with your abilities and with yourself. To do so, one must have a clear head. You must think inward, not outward. It is about you, not about anyone else,” Palpatine said slowly. 

“Are you sure you don’t have a code?”

“I don’t. The Jedi would like you to believe that they are the true keepers of any and all knowledge regarding the force. My teacher rejected those ideas and proposed a.. _.fuller_ way of understanding the force. While I appreciate the need for doctrine, I have always been a fan of objectivity, something that the Jedi lack.”

“You’re permitted from really pursuing your passions. That’s what Anakin told me, at least.”

“Such a smart young man,” Palpatine mused. “Anakin is a unique case.”

“He’s a little bit more...grounded in reality than some Jedi,” Val huffed. “Surprisingly. I think it’s the Tatooine in him.”

“I remember when he first set foot on Coruscant - he was no more than a young boy, no older than nine. Such a bright spirit. I feel the war has dulled that.”

“It’s dulled all of us. I want it to end. I want the galaxy to go back to being...stable.” 

“Oh, it will,” Palpatine gave a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “In due time. Now, _come here_.”

Val abandoned her tea, slinking across the room and planting herself in his lap. He sighed, reclining against the cushioned chair and pulling Val against him. She sighed against his throat, closing her eyes and just relishing in the fact that she was able to be so close and so intimate with someone as powerful as him. 

“I am extremely proud of the progress you have made, Val. You will only grow stronger.”

“I hate that I limited myself all these years. I thought scrying was all I was capable of doing.”

“How could you have known? You had limited knowledge of the force,” Palpatine brushed his fingers against her cheek. “All these years, sitting on untapped potential because you did not have a proper teacher.”

“I’m glad I have you.”

_I’m glad you’re mine._

Sudden possessiveness flared inside Val - the thought of Palpatine training and fucking anyone else _but_ her sent a strong spike of displeasure through her hard heart. Palpatine felt it, and Val felt his grip on her grow tighter. 

When she looked up, he was grinning. 

“Know that you are the only one I have time for right now, and the only one I trust to share my bed. You satisfy me _fully._ ”

“Is that a declaration I hear?”

“Val, we’ve discussed this-”

“I know,” Val sat up straight so she could have an easier time looking into his blue eyes. “I just feel like you should know. How I feel. I know this won’t last and I...there’s _love_ here, from me.”

Palpatine sighed, his eyes drifting down to Val’s small, pale hands. “Occasionally, I forget how young you are in comparison to myself.”

“That’s never mattered to you.”

“It doesn’t. I’m at a time in my life where I don’t have much love to give,” Palpatine replied solemnly.

“Okay,” Val nodded, trying to come up with the right words. She eventually gave up trying to coax a confession out of him and just leaned forward, gently pressing her mouth against his.

“May I stay here tonight?”

“Of course.”

Val went into his room, bathing and slipping on one of his tunics before crawling into his bed. She ran her hands across the smooth, red sheets before closing her eyes. She would have drifted off right then and there had she not felt Palpatine through the force, having entered the room in complete silence, moving through the dark space with ease. 

She heard him dress and speak briefly to his personal droid before he climbed into bed. 

Whatever Palpatine couldn’t express with words, Val noticed, he seemed to express with touches. An arm was, almost always, thrown across Val while he slept. He always had a hand on her, somewhere, and tonight Val could feel his fingers creep beneath her shirt. She sighed, leaning into him and groaning when his hand reversed direction and slipped beneath her panties. Val hummed, wriggling her hips in encouragement.

“You are _insatiable_.”

“At this point, you shouldn’t be surprised. My position hasn’t afford me as many luxuries as you might think. I want to savor it,” Palpatine’s teeth grazed the shell of Val’s ear. “I want to savor _you_.”

He curled a finger upwards and Val gasped. She reached behind her, searching desperately before she finally found and dragged his leaking cock from the confines of his pants. Her movements were frenzied as she helped Palpatine tug her panties down past her thighs. He filled her in one stroke, letting out a content sigh of pleasure. His free hand fondled her breasts and she rutted into him, his lips pressed against the shell of her ear as he moved. Their pants and cries filled the darkness and Val found herself drifting, just as she had before, eager to search his mind and experience his pleasure as well as her own. 

She did. It crashed over her like a powerful wave and she arched her back, squealing when a particular powerful thrust made her toes curl and her mouth hang open in pleasure -

“ _Can you feel me_?”

“I can feel _all_ of you,” Val gasped. She reached back and threaded her fingers through his thin hair. She didn’t realize he’d come as well until she felt him slip out of her. A thin sheen of sweat covered her brow, and her limbs felt like jelly. Palpatine, on the other hand, seemed perfectly lively. 

Val rolled over on her back. Through the darkness, she could barely make out the flicker of blue in Palpatine’s eyes. He leaned in and kissed her. When he pulled away, Val couldn’t help but move in closer. She fit perfectly against his side, as if she’d been created for it, and for him.

_It was like a dream._

She felt his heartbeat beneath her palm. It was rapid, and Val silently felt it calm after a few minutes. For a brief moment, she almost wanted to speak and say something, anything that would get him admit his true feelings. 

“You’re thinking far too much. Rest,” Palpatine murmured into the darkness. 

“I can’t help it. It’s like I think for a living,” Val replied softly. “All the time.” 

“An active mind yields more than a mind dull from stagnation, wouldn’t you agree?”

Val playfully slapped his chest, chuckling. “Of course. But it’s nice to have a break sometimes.”

“I agree,” Palpatine pulled her closer, and Val nearly moaned at the simple contact. 

She never wanted him to let her go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Val is very much in deep at this point...unfortunately.


	8. Chapter 8

Nine months droned by and Val’s stay on Coruscant was no less exciting. 

The apartment she’d purchased was finally starting to feel like a home, as was Palpatine’s apartment. She couldn’t count how many lessons had been held in the confines of his home. Val would listen to him explain the complexities of the force and how it affected Val and her scrying, and then have her demonstrate what she could do. Not only did her scrying time increase, but the distance between her and her target increased as well - before, she’d only been able to have a few miles between her and the target, but now, she could reach people from half a planet - maybe even a full planet - away. She was able to sense people, fully, through the force. The more she pushed and practiced the easier it became to notice everything. Thoughts, emotions, the presence of others even if she couldn’t see them. She’d begun to think of her abilities as a muscle - the more she stretched them and worked them, the stronger they became. 

After their lessons, Val would either leave, or they’d fuck and Val would simply stay, curled up against him in his bed. She’d begun to notice Palpatine’s unique morning patterns - he’d get up much, much earlier than Val, meditate, have his tea, and then read the tabloids before heading the Senate Offices. Val would almost always wake during the latter half of his routine, and she’d sometimes feel a need for domestication tug at her heartstrings. For the first time in years, she wasn’t traveling constantly from planet to planet. She’d established a sense of normalcy with Palpatine that she hadn’t gotten in ages. 

She was either truly falling in love with Palpatine, or she’d been so starved for a normal romantic relationship that she was convincing herself of love. Val didn’t know which one it was. 

_ Attention starved. That’s what you are. _

_ Attention starved and...envious. _

Anakin frequented her apartment, and Val certainly couldn’t complain - Anakin was her friend, and she found that she enjoyed his company more than most. For him, it was a relief - he could talk about Padme, and about his marriage, openly and honestly. He didn’t have to hide. Val could see the twinkle in his eyes and the adoration in his tone when he talked about his wife, and sometimes Val found herself wishing,  _ hoping  _ that Palpatine would talk the same way about her if he were able to. 

It was a one-way conversation. While Val was happy that Anakin had someone to be open with, she, on numerous occasions, considered returning that openness. Anakin was the only one she truly believed _ wouldn’t _ be appalled by her relationship with the Chancellor, or taken aback by her force sensitivity. Yet, part of her was still afraid. Still hesitant. Her thoughts drifted to Palpatine, and what he would think - it didn't seem fair to disclose such information without his knowledge. They were lovers, yes, but they were also partners in the force, master and apprentice. Anakin would inevitably begin to question. 

She’d play it safe, for now. 

Val almost considered asking Palpatine if she could somehow put her abilities to use to aid the Republic. The thought came after Val, while taking a small case on the far side of Coruscant, got word of the attack - she could see the Separatist ships hovering high in the atmosphere, and she hadn’t realized that the Legislative District was under attack and Palpatine, captured, until she’d been practicing her scrying and had tried to locate him. She’d caught sight of Kenobi and Anakin engaged in a fierce battle with an older man wielding a red lightsaber, and she’d immediately yanked herself from his brain and taken a one-way trip back to the Legislative District, mildly panicked.

She’d found Obi-Wan meandering near the monorail station, just outside the Jedi Temple. She smacked his chest playfully and he held his hands up in alarm.

“Well that’s some greeting!” 

“I was  _ worried _ . I saw the ships and heard about the Chancellor’s capture-”

“We brought him back, safe and sound,” Obi-Wan said soothingly. “Everything went smoothly.”

“What about the destroyed ship I saw hurtling towards the landing strips?”

Obi-Wan cringed. “We, uh...it was a shaky reentry. Nothing to worry about.”

“ _ Right _ ,” Val’s lips twisted into a smile. “Is Anakin okay?”

“As chipper as every.  _ Honestly _ , Val, you shouldn’t worry. Saving people and battling Sith adversaries is what we’re _ trained _ to do.”

“I know. I just...after what happened with Nes, I…”

“Nes was anomaly. We did what was necessary, and unfortunately, we couldn’t apprehend Nes like we’d intended to,” Obi-Wan had recounted the tale to Val. Nes had been one step ahead, and he’d very nearly managed to take Anakin’s life. “I don’t regret what I did. Protecting Anakin was my priority.”

“You’re a good man, Kenobi.”

“I strive to be better every day.”

“As a true Jedi would,” Val ducked her head. “I’m glad you’re home safe.”

She could have sworn that Obi-Wan blushed, but he was quick to conceal it and turn away when Mace Windu beckoned him over. Val reached out and squeezed his shoulder, walking past him and heading towards the Senate Offices. 

* * *

Palpatine didn’t seem to be harmed - in fact, it appeared as if his capture did nothing to reduce his stamina. Other than his disheveled appearance and flushed cheeks, he looked as lively as ever. He greeted Val with a warm smile and a light sigh. After dismissing Sate Pestage, the Red Guard, and ensuring that the door was locked, he pounced. 

Nothing mattered. Only  _ he  _ mattered, and Val immediately felt heat rush from her brain down between her legs. She was incredibly grateful that the walls of his office were thick, and that nobody could hear her moans and whimpers and cries. 

He took her on his desk, and then again, on the rich red carpet of his office floor. Val came with a strangled cry against him, her fingers curling into the rich fabric of his robes. Moments later, he followed, slumping against her, spent. They lay for a while, Palpatine's smooth fingers tracing patterns against Val's neck. 

“I missed you,” Val gave him a long, lazy kiss that took her breath away. She let her forehead sit against his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his neck. “I...I should have been here-”

“I’m glad you weren’t,” Palpatine murmured. “I couldn’t bare to possibly see your life in jeopardy. Skywalker and Kenobi did a fine job of rescuing me. Anakin successfully defeated Count Dooku.”

“Dooku? Doesn’t he lead the Separatist army?”

“Not anymore,” Palpatine grinned. “General Grievous is in command now - the Jedi Council have ensured that they will act swiftly. If Grievous is destroyed, this war will end.”

“Let’s hope it does.”

Palpatine and Val rose to their feet, adjusting their clothing - Val made sure that her belt was in place and her shirt smooth, and Palpatine fixed his rucked-up robes. 

“I just wish…” Val said after a while, “I wish I could help you. I wish I could contribute. I’m force-sensitive, and even if I’m not a Jedi-”

“You’ve kept your abilities hidden for good reason. If they had their way, the Jedi would keep you away from me at all costs,” Palpatine cut Val off, though his tone was gentle. “You are of use to the Republic as an investigator."

"You are training me for a _reason_. It's all fruitless if I can't utilize them in some way."

"What use are your abilities if the Jedi suppress them, which they inevitably would?" Palpatine raised his eyebrows. "You are still considered an outsider, Val. There is a reason our meetings are held in secret."

"I know. I'm asking you to let me help secretly. Nobody has to know," Val explained. 

"Why are you so insistent to involve yourself in my political affairs? You find politics deplorable-"

"You were _abducted_ today, and _force knows_ what those Separatists were planning on doing to you," Val blurted. Palpatine fell silent, his eyes narrowing as Val stood before him, her hands trembling like a frightened child. "I _saw_ it. I scryed you - you must have felt me - and I saw it. I saw Anakin and Obi-Wan in danger. I saw _you_ in danger. I was helpless, stuck on the ground."

Pity flashed across Palpatine's face. His hand came up to gently cup Val's face. It was a gesture he usually reserved for their private nighttime meetings, or while they were in bed. His touch meant _comfort_ to Val. He said, "Rest assured, I was in no danger. There is no use fretting over what you could or should have done. The Jedi delivered me to you, unharmed, and I am _here_ now. Everything went according to plan, as it will in the future."

“It sure as kriff doesn't feel that way,” Val snorted. “It feels like there’s no plan.” 

“Oh, there is a plan.”

“How do you know?”

“I can feel it in the force. You will feel it, too, when the time is right,” Palpatine said softly. He reached out and held Val’s hands. “I just need you to trust me.”

“I trust you.” 

“ _ Good _ .”

* * *

“Padme is pregnant.”

Val looked up. Anakin hadn’t taken a sip of the tea she’d prepared for him, and he was obviously in shock - his eyes were focused on the kitchen table and he’d spoken rather robotically. 

Val set down her datapad immediately and reached out, clutching one of Anakin’s strong hands. “Oh, Ani - that’s wonderful! Congratulations!”

A smile broke out across his stoic face. She could tell that he was happy, but just a bit conflicted. Val completely understood why. 

“I’m happy. I’m so,  _ so _ happy,” Anakin said. “I just...I’m going to be a  _ father _ .”

“You’re worried.”

“ _ Yeah _ . Padme is a senator - she won’t be able to hide her pregnancy from the public. People will begin to question.”

“She can hide it beneath all those robes she wears. The Naboo like to wear layers. Trust me, I  _ know _ .”

Anakin raised his eyebrows, and Val instantly realized her mistake. 

“So...I was  _ right _ -”

“Not a word about this, Anakin,” Val raised her finger pointedly. “I swear - stop  _ laughing _ !”

“Why are you always so terrible at keeping secrets from me  _ specifically _ ?”

“You’re like a brother to me, that’s why,” Val snapped. “Look, The Chancellor - Palpatine - he and I...I don’t know what it is, but it isn’t what you and Padme have.”

“We both have a taste for politicians, it seems.”

“Yeah,” Val rolled her eyes. She debated picking up her datapad and distracting herself, but she remembered the initial conversation. “Look, you’re worried about you and Padme? Don’t be. If all else fails, I’d be happy to help you out if she isn’t able to make many public appearances.”

“You and Padme kind of look the same….” Anakin hummed.

“Oh  _ kriff _ no! Also, we do not look the same. She’s prettier,” Val huffed. “I’d be outed from a mile away and then it would be all over the Holonet.” 

“Just a suggestion.”

“I don’t sound like her, either. Could you imagine _ me _ speaking to the Senate?”

“Absolutely not. You despise politics, don’t you?”

“Yeah. So do you. Yet we’re both screwing politicians. Funny how that works.”

Anakin chuckled. He finally took a sip of his tea, a signal that he’d finally relaxed. His metal fingers began drawing circles against the cup, and he said, “You’re right about the Naboo wearing a lot of layers…”

“Right! It takes me  _ forever _ to get Palpatine undressed when we-”

“I don’t want to know!”


	9. Chapter 9

“You are out of focus today. Tell me what troubles you.”

Val jumped as Palpatine’s soft voice flooded her ears. She opened her eyes, letting out a breath of air. She was sitting cross-legged on the center of Palpatine’s bed, meditating and attempting to expand her scrying distance, while he went about reading in the corner. 

He’d come to know her well. 

“I’m out of focus because…”

_Anakin._

_No. You can’t say a word about him._

“I’m just out of focus. I can’t be _on_ all the time.”

Palpatine looked as if he wanted to say something, but thought better of it. Instead, he placed his book down and rose, taking a seat next to Val. She uncrossed her legs and faced him, unsure of what to say next.

So, she just spoke.

“Have you ever wanted children?”

Palpatine chuckled. “Dear, I am far too old and far too busy to be fathering _any_ children,” he paused, his brows furrowing. Quickly, he asked, “You are not...with child, are you-”

“No. _Kriff_ no, I’m _not_ pregnant,” Val snorted. “I’d make a _dreadful_ mother. I was just...inquiring. I like to poke and prod your mind sometimes, see what’s floating in there,” Val reached out and grazed her fingertips across his cheek. 

“You poke and prod at the expense of your meditation,” Palpatine clasped her wrist. Val went rigid, holding still as he slowly leaned forward and brushed her hand against his lips. “However, If you need something else to occupy you…”

“ _Tonight_ ,” Val giggled like a lovestruck fool. She briefly considered that her former self, the self that had arrived to Coruscant hardened yet naive, would be disgusted with the way she’d become so infatuated with this brilliant, _brilliant_ man. “We have dinner, and then I bring you back here, we drink blossom wine, and I... _seduce_ you.”

“I’ll indulge. I want nothing but the best for the woman I cherish so dearly,” Palpatine murmured. “Let’s consider it a celebration. You have improved drastically over the past few months. Soon, you could be as skilled as Kenobi or Skywalker.”

“I can’t wield a lightsaber to save my life, so they win by default,” Val ducked her head. 

“Lightsabers are rather primitive, wouldn’t you say?” Palpatine said. “The force is all one should need to defeat an enemy.”

“They do look pretty cool.”

“Much too flashy,” Palpatine mused. Val chuckled, and he shrugged, adding, “The Jedi are all about flair, however.”

“The more you talk, the more I’m starting to realize how _wrong_ the Jedi Order would be for someone like you,” Val flopped back they sat in silence for a bit, before Val murmured, “You know, if we did have a child... it would be _powerful_.”

“Indeed, he or she would be quit the prodigy."

“Would that be a blessing or a curse, though? The force isn't what it's made out to be, sometimes," Val snorted. “My parents never knew about my abilities. I hid them. There isn’t a force-sensitive member of my family, so they had no reason to have me tested.”

“Perhaps it was for the best. You could have ended up a Jedi, something I know you’re vehemently opposed to as it is,” Palpatine said smoothly. “Things occur for a reason.”

“Fate?”

“Something stronger,” Palpatine gave a wicked smile. He stroked the top of Val’s head, his face softening. “How I wish we could unlock the secrets of the force. _Together_.”

“That’s what we’re trying to do, right?” Val sat up. Palpatine seemed hesitant, and Val let her palm rest against his cheek. “If you’re saying that the force brought us together for a reason, maybe it’s because...there’s something bigger than us? Bigger than the Republic, even. _Maybe_.”

“I want you to promise me something, Val?”

“Yes,” Val replied immediately. She didn’t think, didn’t assume or wonder. She answered with pitch perfect clarity, because in her mind, the answer was already there. 

“You _must_ have faith in me. Know that what I do is for you, always,” Palpatine reached up to squeeze her hand. 

“Will you have faith in me, then?”

“Of course.”

Val leaned forward and kissed him, sweetly and softly and tenderly. She felt something flicker behind her closed eyes, barely noticeable, but sinister, nonetheless. 

She ignored it. 

* * *

Val returned to her investigation, spending most of her days in Coruscant’s underbelly. She preferred the upper levels to the packed, bustling underground, but a job was a job - she was making leads, and the more powerful her scrying became, the easier it was to seek out proper targets. She could stay in a mind longer, and, sometimes, jump back and forth from one mind to another without having to take a break.

Palpatine seemed please, though their meetings became less frequent - twice a week, now, and Val was beginning to miss their constant contact. She craved him, and she knew he craved her - he made sure to reinforce that each time they met in his apartment, and having to leave the next morning was becoming harder and harder.

Lovers seemed like an appropriate term, Val decided. She could say with confidence that she had the potential to truly love him. 

“I’m heading to Utapau tomorrow,” Obi-Wan’s hologram flickered. Val was crouched in an alleyway in some seedy part of Coruscant, having peeled away from the throng of pedestrians to speak with Obi-Wan. “We’ve located General Grievous. Hopefully the next time we speak, the war will be over.”

“I hope that ends up being the case,” Val said softly. “Be safe, Obi-Wan. Come home to me.”

“Always.”

_He’ll be okay._

Val had to reassure herself over and over as she closed the holocall and opened up her notes. Her main focus was on the smuggling ring that lurked beneath the upper monorails - stolen goods were being distributed from restaurants, and the Coruscant Police had little evidence to properly convict. The case was easy - she’d already scryed the owners of each suspected restaurant and had found them guilty. Now it was a matter of finding physical evidence. 

Sometimes, she wished her force ability could count on its own. The Coruscant Police, much like the Senate Guards, were always at odds with the force. They didn’t trust it. 

That frustrated Val, and she imagined it frustrated Palpatine. 

It wasn’t until the next day that she received a frantic call from Anakin. 

“You need to sever all contact with Chancellor Palpatine, immediately.”

Val sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed. Her eyes instinctively travelled to her window - she could see the Senate Offices from here. Anakin’s hologram flickered, and she took a second to compose herself.

“ _Why?_ ”

“He’s been _manipulating_ you,” Anakin looked around, though Val wasn’t able to see what had caught his attention for those brief moments. “ _He is a Sith_!”

“Am I supposed to know what a Sith is?”

“There's not enough time to explain. I’m telling you, Val - stay away from him! Master Windu is heading to arrest him as we speak-”

Val didn’t wait for him to finish. She shut off the holocall. 

She _ran._

* * *

Val was armed with her blaster, the weapon tucked beneath her tunic, when she entered the Senate Offices. The guards paid her no mind as she headed to Palpatine’s office, her limbs shaking, her mind frenzied to the point of hysteria - seeing Palpatine would make things better.

It _had_ too.

_Heliedheliedheliedhelied._

_He lied!_

Sate Pestage and Mas Amedda weren’t present around Palpatine’s office. In fact, _nobody_ was present around Palpatine’s office, and she could hear the shattering of glass and shouts as she approached, pressing herself into a corner. She peeked down the short hallway, and saw several unmoving, crumpled figures.

_Jedi._

She couldn’t make out their faces, but they were definitely people. Frantically, she fumbled with her communicator.

“Requesting a medical droid to the Chancellor’s office, as soon as possible. There are several injured,” Val hissed. Glass shattered once more, and then somebody _screamed._

Then, silence. Val remained, still as a corpse, until she heard a ragged voice begin speaking. She chose that moment to be brave, to do the right thing, and _move_.

She put away her communicator and pulled out her blaster. She tiptoed down the hall and emerged into Palpatine’s office, the space so familiar yet now so unfamiliar. A couch was overturned, and the massive window overlooking Coruscant had been shattered. Bodies littered the area near the entrance. 

All Val saw next was Anakin’s horrified face and the face a _creature_ dressed in Palpatine’s robes.

Val wanted to _vomit._

Instead, she raised her blaster and pointed it at the creature responsible for the carnage. While Anakin was kneeling, the yellow-eyed _thing_ was standing. 

“Val?” Anakin breathed. He looked even more horrified than before, as if Val had caught him engaging in some immoral act. He stood, and Val turned her attention back to Palpatine.

_That’s not Palpatine! It’s not! It’s-_

“I was waiting for you,” Palpatine drawled. Even his voice sounded different. Distorted and ragged, like his vocal cords were struggling to produce sound. “ _Val_ \- my _sweet girl_ \- come here.”

He extended his arms and beckoned. Val wearily approached, lowering her blaster but still keeping a firm grip on the handle. Anakin remained silent - he did not warn her or say a word. 

Palpatine’s embrace should have felt familiar, but it didn’t. Val let a trembling hand rest against his chest as he pulled her close. The soft touch of his lips against her temple was meant to feel intimate, but it didn’t.

“I _need_ you."

Val shoved him away. She stumbled back, ashamed at how easily he’d wooed her into his arms. She raised her blaster once more, this time at Anakin - hurt flashed across his face, Ani’s face, the man she’d come to regard as her _brother_ -

“Tell me the _truth_ . What the _hell_ is going on-”

“Padme’s life is in jeopardy, Val. I _had_ to do this!” Anakin pleaded. “He can teach me the ways of the force and I can save her. Maybe he can teach you, too, if you just ask-”

“He’s been teaching me, and I know the ways of the _kriffing_ force, Anakin,” Val snarled. “What I want to know is why there are three dead Jedi over by the door, and why you...why do you look like that, Palpatine. What _happened_ to you?”

“I was attacked by traitorous Jedi. I was _scarred_ ,” Palpatine said. “I gained an apprentice today, and now, I wish to gain a...companion to help lead the empire that I build-”

“The Senate won’t approve of this.” 

“Oh, they will,” Palpatine chuckled. “I will lead the galaxy into a new age of prosperity, Val, and I _want_ you by my side.”

This time, he was walking forward. Val raised her blaster. She was going to shoot. She would shoot. _She had to shoot_ -

Palpatine placed his hand over the muzzle of the blaster and forced it towards the ground. His free hand came up to cup Val’s face. She struggled, but held her with an iron grip. When she fell still, he murmured, “I did not lie to you. The galaxy can be ours. Together. Those who deserve to be punished _will_ be punished-”

“I don’t want to punish-”

“You want to kill. You are a _killer_.”

“The galaxy has enough _killers_ ,” Val tearful looked over at Anakin. “It has enough death. I can’t. I don’t want to rule the galaxy, I just want you to let me love you. _I love you_ -”

Val was hysterical, now. Her shaking hands touched the rough skin on his marred face. She longed to stare into blue eyes, not yellow ones, but she knew that would never happen. This was him. It had probably _always_ been him, but she couldn't bring herself to face the fact that her lover was gone, his appearance some grand farce. 

At Val’s confession, something snapped inside of him. She heard Anakin give a loud gasp, and she barely registered the feeling of something piercing her skin and driving deep into her gut. It was a dull, blunt feeling, like the air had been sucked from her lungs and she couldn’t breath - she couldn’t -

Anakin made a move forward, but Palpatine raised a hand.

“It is her life, or Padme’s life. Remember that. Those who cannot further our cause, we must be rid of them,” Palpatine released Val, and she fell against his desk, banging her head against the edge. The ceremonial knife was long and jagged and was buried to the hilt in her stomach. 

“I opened myself up to you,” Palpatine leaned down, his breathing ragged. His expression was that of _hurt_ , and Val wanted to believe that it was genuine. His lips twisted into a hideous scowl as he snarled, “I shared with you...so much of myself, and I graced you with knowledge of the force. You are... _ungrateful_.”

Val coughed. Blood trickled from her nose, and she scooted back and used Palpatine’s desk for support. 

_“Anakin, help me.”_

He just stood there. The noble Jedi and the man Val considered family, _just stood there._

Maybe it was the force giving her one last burst of energy, but Val took the risk and bolted. She shouldered her way past Anakin, and she heard him ignite his lightsaber, and as she ran, she fully expected to feel the hot streak against her back -

“Let her go, my apprentice.”

Val would live to see another day.

_Maybe._

Struggling to stem the trickle of blood from her wound, Val collapsed against the wall - the halls were unusually empty, not a Senator or staffer in sight - just droids that were programmed to ignore everything unless given a specific command. 

She hadn’t pulled out the knife, and she didn’t intend to - she didn’t know what had been punctured, and pulling the object out would allow blood to flow freely. She needed a distraction, something -

Val heard footsteps, and she began struggling to pull herself away. She was prepared to run if she had to, and she very nearly did when heavy boots stepped by her head. 

Miss Semper - _oh, no_ ,” Bail Organa crouched, easing her back into a sitting position. “You need medical assistance - she needs medical assistance! Miss Semper, can you hear me? _Miss Semper_ -!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Well...Val found out the hard way, unfortunately. I hope I did all right with this. I was trying to work around what would happen, how Val would find out his true nature, and I felt it appropriate that she would go to him the moment she heard that he was going to be arrested. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! It only gets WAY more fucked up from here.


	10. Chapter 10

Val awoke to Obi-Wan, his soft eyes peering into her own. She tried to sit up but found doing so difficult, and disorienting. Everything was so _white,_ so _pristine_ , and when she glanced out the small window in the corner, she saw nothing but blackness and the twinkling of far-away stars

“I’m sorry, Obi-Wan,” Val suddenly blurted. She had to get it off her chest. She had to tell him the truth.

Whatever had been injected into her system wouldn’t allow that.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about-”

“I should have known better...Anakin...something is wrong with him. Something happened,” Val sobbed, turning her head from side to side as if she were trying to physically shake the thoughts from her mind. “J-Jedi are dead...I’m so sorry. I should have known better. I just wanted him to love me.”

“Delirious, she is,” Yoda’s voice floated from somewhere within the room. Val couldn’t see the little green Jedi, but she could sense him in her mind. “Leave her to rest, we should.”

“Where am I? What happened?” Val successfully sat up. Obi-Wan rose, steadying her. “Why are we...where’s…” 

“We are aboard Senator Organa’s diplomatic cruiser. Your wounds are being treated - who inflicted them?”

“Palpatine,” Val said. “He is...Anakin said he’s Sith…”

Val cursed the medication for making her sound like a drunk. 

Obi-Wan looked perturbed. Finally, after stepping onto a small hololift, Yoda hovered into view next to the bed. 

“Act, we must.”

“Everything was on fire. The temple...it was all gone,” Val croaked. She felt Obi-Wan’s hand gently stroke her hair. “Don’t go. Stay here-”

“We will return,” Obi-Wan said softly. “You are not at your full strength right now.”

“Instruct Organa to send her to Polis Massa, I will. Safe there, she will be.”

Obi-Wan seemed reluctant to leave Val’s side, but he nodded and pulled away. Despite her injuries, Val felt rejuvenated just by his presence.

“Bring Anakin home, Obi-Wan,” Val begged. “Please. _Please_.”

“I will. I promise.”

For some reason, Val didn’t believe him.

* * *

Val’s pain would numb. 

The base on Polis Massa was clean and pristine and utterly insufferable. It wasn’t her Coruscant apartment. It wasn’t Palpatine’s warm, inviting bed. It wasn’t _home_.

She was fed. Bathed. Her wounds were cleaned and dressed and she was given an assessment, medical droids monitoring her health to make sure the wound didn’t get infected and her body didn’t reject the chemicals injected into her system. She was allowed to walk around freely, and she explored the small asteroid base to pass the time. 

Yoda and Bail returned before Obi-Wan. Val could only nod at the Jedi master, and sigh when Bail gently and briefly touched her shoulder in a silent act of comfort. 

_She just wanted Obi-Wan._

He did return, several hours later, with a limp Padme in his arms. Val rushed to assist, helping him carry the small woman to the medical ward. She was pale, panting, her belly enlarged. It took Val a second to remember what Anakin had told her.

“Obi-Wan, where’s Ani?” 

Obi-Wan just looked at Val and shook his head. 

* * *

“I lied to you. I lied to Anakin and so many other people.”

Obi-Wan did not look up at her. His eyes were red-rimmed, his boot methodically tapping against the floor. He was chewing the nail of his pointer finger, the habit unusual for him. 

He was distressed.

“I should have told you the truth,” Val continued. “I felt like I had to hide.”

“Understandable,” Obi-Wan replied hoarsely. 

Val sank into her chair. Yoda and Bail were in another room. Padme’s body was being wrapped and prepared for transport to Naboo. 

The twins, the little boy and the little girl that looked _so much like Anakin_ that it _hurt_ , were asleep. 

Val’s entire universe had been ripped open and then shattered into a million pieces.

“I should have known. I should have done something - I feel like such an idiot,” Val furiously wiped away her tears and turned away. She didn’t want Obi-Wan to see her cry. She felt his hand on her shoulder, and then around her waist as he tentatively turned her back around.

“You could not have foreseen this, even with your abilities. There is nothing you could have done. The Chancellor was too powerful and too smart-”

“My job is finding the _truth_ . I _should_ have found the truth. I should have _seen_ it-”

“You had no prior knowledge of the Sith, Val. You are not a Jedi! If anything, _I_ failed _you_ by not keeping you safe from him.”

Obi-Wan let his forehead rest against Val’s own. Her fingers clutched his charred robes. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t bring him home.”

“You tried,” Val murmured. “That’s all that matters. That’s all any of us can ask of each other.”

While Anakin’s betrayal was like a knife to her heart, Val knew that a part of Obi-Wan had died back on Mustafar. All Val could do was hold him. It’s all she wanted to do, but she knew she couldn’t just stand her with her face buried in Obi-Wan’s neck. Her tears had to become tears of _rage_. 

Val had to _kill._

She pulled away. 

“News of Padme’s death has already reached Naboo,” Bail Organa entered the room. If he was startled by catching Obi-Wan with his arms around Val’s waist, he didn’t show it. Yoda hobbled in behind him, ears twitching as he immediately focused his gaze on Val. “Her funeral will be held tomorrow.”

“Depart shortly, we will,” Yoda said. His voice sounded strained and exhausted. “To Naboo, will you accompany us?” 

It was a question, directed at Val. She stepped away from Obi-Wan, her body suddenly cool again - he was so _warm_ \- and stared down at the small Jedi. She had a feeling that he already knew the answer, and Val said, “I’m...no. I can’t.”

Obi-Wan and Bail seemed surprised. Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows and asked, “Are you going to stay here, on Polis Massa?”

“No. I’m going back to Coruscant-”

“There is no need for that,” Bail said. “I can arrange for transport to Alderaan, where you will be safe. You are welcome to stay with my wife and I.”

The thought of returning to Alderaan made her sick, but Val would never say that. 

“We each have jobs to do,” Val looked from Yoda, to Bail, and finally, to Obi-Wan. He looked as if he wanted to interrupt, but he was listening. “We each have different paths to follow. You have to find the surviving Jedi and protect Padme’s children. I have to go back to Coruscant and _fight this_. Serving the Republic and bringing justice is my job. I’m not going to stop now.”

Bail nodded. Obi-Wan seemed reluctant. Yoda’s ears were perked up, his expression solemn. 

“I suppose this is the last time we’ll see each other, then,” Obi-Wan’s voice cracked, and he looked on the verge of a breakdown. “I lose Anakin, and then Padme, and then you-”

“You will never lose me. I promise.”

Obi-Wan composed himself while Bail and Val shook hands. The Aldeeranian Senator said softly, “My home is always open to you.”

“Thank you, Senator.”

Bail Organa excused himself, leaving Yoda. The small Jedi hobbled forward, bowing to Val. 

“Safe travels, Val Semper.”

Then he followed Bail out the door. 

Obi-Wan and Val were left alone, once again. Both were struggling with what to say, how to say their goodbyes. Obi-Wan’s fingers twitched, and his eyes travelled out the window and across the vast expanse of rocky asteroid. 

“We will make sure there’s a ship ready for your trip back to Coruscant.”

“Obi-Wan, look at me,” Val smiled. After a moment, he tore his eyes away from the window. “ _Thank you._ For everything. You’ve done so much for me. I found a _home_ with you and Anakin. I’ve never felt that before.”

“Come with me to Naboo. We can figure out what to do after Padme’s funeral. The two of us, together-”

“You know I can’t do that. I can’t run,” Val grasped his rough, calloused hands. “I can’t-”

He was kissing her, suddenly, and Val nearly burst into tears. It felt so good and so perfect. Val gripped his tunic and his hands gripped her hair as if it were a lifeline. 

When he pulled away, his cheeks were red and his hair disheveled. He looked more alive than Val had ever seen him. 

“ _Go,_ and may the force be with you, Val.”

Val smiled.


	11. Chapter 11

Coruscant’s atmosphere had _changed_.

The creation of the Galactic Empire meant that Coruscant was still the main hub, the center, the powerhouse of all the galaxy. It always would be, no matter who the ruler. 

_ Empires never last. _

The increased traffic allowed Val to slip onto the planet unnoticed. The underbelly was where she went, immediately, her robes wrapped tightly around her body like a shroud. Coruscant Security, in their blue uniforms, buzzed around like busy insects. 

Val hated it. Coruscant had a stench to it, now. The Jedi Temple was charred and would soon, Val assumed, be rebuilt into something with Palpatine’s tastes all over it. 

The resident of Coruscant, the civilians, she’s relatively unperturbed. Other than the increased Coruscant Security presence, their lives would go unaffected as they were indoctrinated into the Empire via HoloNet propaganda. Val had seen it happen. She’d studied it. 

_ People are fools. _

_ They’re all fools. Ants. Insects. _

_ Disgusting. _

Val’s destination was a former client, nestled right near the Industrial District. Zitwaje was a hefty twi’lek, and Val had assisted him in locating a thief that had stolen from the bank he oversaw. He was indebted to her. 

“There are people who oppose the creation of this ‘Galactic Empire,’” Zitwaje smirked. “Turns out, they’re the same people who hated the Republic.”

“You can’t win with some folks,” Val murmured.

“You look sickly, Val.”

“I look fine. Now, tell me about those ‘anarchist’ you mentioned.”

* * *

The “anarchist” Zitwaje had mentioned were familiar to Val. They were whispered about in the underbelly of Coruscant. They outsmarted Coruscant Security and always seemed to be one step ahead, something Val wanted to take advantage of. 

Zitwaje had given Val a loose location of where their current hideout might - key word  _ might _ \- be. If the information was wrong, Val would have to go on a wild bantha chase to find more information, something she really, really, _really_ couldn’t afford to do. Not with the amount of police and security crawling around.  The place was unassuming - nestled in the shipyards were the ruins of an old luxury yacht cruiser that looked as if it hadn’t been used in a century. It was large, but not too large as to attract too much attention. Val could already sense its inhabitants through the force, and she prayed Zitwaje’s information had been correct. 

The sliding doors opened before Val could even make her presence known. She found herself staring at the circular opening of the muzzle of a blaster, its owner a skinny twi’lek with a disgruntled expression on her thin, blue face. 

Val froze. Her fingers brushed at the blaster concealed beneath her cloak, as well as the ceremonial knife she’d kept from Palpatine’s attack. 

“What do you want?”

“I was told that this was where I would find an evasive cult of anarchists. Zitwaje sent me.”

The twi’lek woman kept her weapon raised, her eyes flickering to somewhere within the ship. Val heard heavy footsteps approach, before a figure appeared - an older human male with an ugly looking scar across one eye. The iris was milky white, making his other green orb stand out. 

“Oh, not  _ her _ .”

Val narrowed her eyes at the man. He gestured for the twi’lek to move back before stepping outside with Val. He was a big man, much, much taller than Val had anticipated. The clothes he wore were patchy with age, and he looked as if he hadn’t seen the bright Coruscant sun in a while. 

_ He’s been down here a while. They all probably have.  _

“Zitwaje sent me,” Val r epeated. 

“Are you here looking for trouble?”

“I’m looking for your particular brand of trouble, yes,” Val gulped. “You probably know of me-”

“You’re the private investigator that took the underbelly of Coruscant by storm. You led the police to three of my friends.”

“Your friends should have been more careful, then.”

The towering man pursed his thin lips. What Val was doing was gusty - she had a blaster trained on her and no way to fight back. She could grab her own weapon, sure, but she was outnumbered. They’d kill her, dismember her, and drop her where nobody would ever find her. 

“What do you want?”

“Believe it or not, the law doesn’t protect people like me. I just want to talk. Are you the leader?”

The large man grunted, and to Val’s surprise, he shook his head. Val glanced at the twi’lek woman and she also shook her head, finally lowering her blaster. 

“If you make a lick of noise and try to signal anybody, I’m wringing your neck myself.”

“I wouldn’t hold it against you if you tried.”

“You wouldn’t have the chance. Come inside.  _ Now _ .”

* * *

The interior of the yacht was just as dreary as the outside. The walls looked as if they hadn’t been polished in decades. It was a lifeless husk that, in the past, had been teeming with passengers and families looking to travel across the vast expanse of space in luxury. 

Val was herded through the maze of hallways until she reached the main area of the ship. There were several other inhabitants of the ship - no more than a dozen - lounging around. 

“We have a visitor.”

Val watched as a tall human peeled away from the group, stepping before Val and slightly bowing his head. The small gesture of respect startled Val, as did the smile on his handsome face. It didn’t seem to affect the large man or the twi'lek woman, and they stood back as their leader introduced himself.

“Calistor. It’s a pleasure to have you aboard this luxury cruiser.”

“Luxury my ass,” Val snorted. Calistor still held his smile, though it was strained. It was an act, Val knew, but she’d indulge him and play along. She said, “It’s a pleasure to be aboard,  _ captain _ .”

“What brings someone like you... _ here _ ? Are the police going to bust down my door any second or can I be at ease?”

“I have no use in selling any of you out. I would be apprehended just as you would,” Val said honestly. “I’m not an investigator anymore. I’m done with that.” 

“Well, the degenerates of Coruscant will certainly miss trying to dodge _you_ ,” Calistor replied. “But what brings you here, specifically, to  _ me _ ?”

“Zitwaje. He told me that _this_ ,” Val gestured to the wide space, “is where you and your group hide out and scheme. I want to be a part of that.”

Calistor nearly choked on his own spit as he laughed. He calmed himself down and gasped, “ _ You _ ? Are you  _ kriffing  _ serious?”

“I know what you are your group stands for. During the war you considered yourself allied to no one. Not the Republic, and not the Seperatists. _Government_ isn’t really something you want to be associated with-”

“The Republic overstepped its authority. The Seperatist movement was a pushback, but even they lost sight of what the galaxy truly needs,” Calistor narrowed his eyes. “Planets are not meant to be ‘united.’ Do you think Mandalore, with all its issues, strengthened the Republic, or weakened it? What about Lothal? _Shitholes_ , the both of them.”

“I’ve been all over. I think I have some authority on what planets should be deemed ‘shitholes’ and which shouldn’t,” Val said. “I’m not here to debate politics with you. You can talk all you want about what your movement means, but what its accomplished is a different story. Right now, the Galactic Republic is being transformed into something monstrous. Every planet is going to be united, but not the way you probably want them to be.”

“You think things will be as bad as they were with the Republic in charge?” 

“Worse. And are you going to sit on your  kriffing ass like you’ve been doing, or are you going to fight it?”

“You want to fight,” Calistor raised his eyebrows. “You want  _ us _ to fight, too?”

“I want you to try. You’ll have me on your side,” Val stressed. “You’ll have a plethora of information at your fingertips. More than you’ve ever had before. You can finally take action.”

Calistor gnawed on his fingernails, pacing back and forth. The room was deathly silent for a few long, stressful moments.

“What is it you propose we do, Val Semper?” Calistor finally said. “Who is the target? What’s the  _ goal _ ?”

“The _goal_ is to kill our new Emperor. How we get there will take some time.”

“My ears are open.”

* * *

The large man introduced himself as Drut, while the twi’lek woman simply nodded and Val and stated that her name was Lewla. The exchanges were short, sweet, and to the point. 

Val liked them both. Especially Drut. He spoke primarily in grunts and single-word responses. Lewla just avoided her completely, which she could live with. 

Calistor, on the other hand, was  _ infuriating _ . He talked. 

_ A lot. _

“ _ Killing _ the  _ Emperor _ , huh? Do you have some sort of personal vendetta against him? Did he blackmail you? Screw you out of some credits-”

“No,” Val grunted. 

“Hm. Your response tells me it was something more personal.” 

“It’s not personal. He just needs to die,” Val cocked her blaster. “As do several other people around him. It’s for the good of the galaxy.”

“ _ The good of the galaxy _ ,” Calistor parodied. “Is that what you said when you were sending the Coruscant Police on unsuspecting criminals?”

“Those two words don’t go together.” 

“Which two words?”

“‘Unsuspecting’ and ‘criminal’. If you’re a criminal, especially on Coruscant, you have to be aware that your time could come to an end at any moment,” Val replied. “I was simply doing my duty at the time, just as I am now.”

“Palpatine is a criminal, huh?”

Val bristled. She’d forgotten that Calistor most likely didn’t know the full story. The HoloNet had broadcasted the Jedi’s betrayal as if it were fact. Palpatine’s ascension to the throne, for some, would be seen as a miracle. Planets that didn’t know better would worship it.

_ Planets shouldn’t be united.  _

_ If everyone minded themselves, the galaxy would be...turmoil free. _

“Something like that,” Val murmured. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. She heard Calistor get up from the grimy couch he’d been reclining on and walk over to the table. 

“There’s a caravan arriving tomorrow of officials from all around the galaxy. They’re meeting to discuss the formation of the Empire,” Calistor sighed. “I’m assuming there’s going to be some rearranging.”

Val hummed, keeping her eyes closed. She could feel Calistor through the force. She could feel his fluttering heartbeat and the slight, barely detectable uneasiness in him. She said, “We should strike.”

“Strike the caravan?”

“Possibly. Scout the officials, first. See who’s arriving. See who’s important and who isn’t,” Val replied. “I already have someone I know who’s death would be a _staggering_ loss to the Empire.”

“Who would that be?”

“Sate Pestage,” Val said. “I won’t need help tracking him, but I’ll need help killing him-”

“You’re a force user,” Calistor said suddenly. Val’s eyes shot open, and she gave a slight tilt of her head. Nobody else was around to hear, but she still didn’t feel comfortable indulging him just yet.

“Perhaps.”

“You have this weird  _ still _ about you,” Calistor replied. “I’ve seen it in...Jedi. You’re too good at what you do to be just a regular human.”

“I’m not a Jedi.”

“I never said you were. You’d be dead if you were,” Calistor shrugged. “I’ve known force sensitive people who can barely read a room. You’re not one of those. It doesn’t matter to me. Having one of you on our side is a plus.”

“Does that mean you’ll trust me when I tell you things that I can’t explain?” 

“You have to earn that privilege.”

“Then I’ll earn it, just as I’ve  _ earned _ everything else,” Val turned away, closing her eyes once more. She felt Calistor lightly pet her on the shoulder before he strolled off, whistling to himself. 

Val let out a long breath, relaxing as she sunk into the force and slipped into Sate’s mind. She watched him go about his business for a few moments, praying that he wouldn’t interact with Palpatine - Val just knew that he would somehow realize that she was inhabiting his aide’s mind. What he’d do about it, Val had no idea. However, keeping a low profile was crucial at the moment, and Val couldn’t risk that. 

_ You have about three hours before he leaves and heads home.  _

Three hours to spare.

Three hours to prepare.


	12. Chapter 12

Calistor allowed Val to take two of his people, so she chose Lewla - out of spite - and then a small, older human male with greasy hair and a crooked smile who introduced himself as Fixit. They departed, weapons concealed beneath their cloaks. 

Val clutched her ceremonial knife tightly against her stomach as they walked, head ducked as they traversed the bustling streets of Coruscant. Occasionally, Val would have to step into an alley to scry - they had to be sure that Sate was in route - as they made their way to the ambush point. They were moving at roughly the same speed, with Sate's mind on alert as he traversed the streets. He wasn't force sensitive in the slightest, so despite all his training, Val knew that he would never detect her presence in his mind unless she revealed herself to him. She could feel his emotions, swirling all together. Uncertainty, hesitation, but at the same time, a strong sense of resolve for whatever it was Palpatine was having him do. 

Just as Val suspected, he was alone. Val would forever be able to spot his sour expression and gaunt face from a crowd. She’d been on the receiving end of those beady, glaring eyes one too many times. Val was trying not to look at this as revenge, but part of her couldn't help it - out of everyone in Palpatine's inner circle, from Sly Moore to Mas Amedda, she wouldn't deny that Sate Pestage's death would bring her the most sense of peace. 

As they lurked in the alleyway outside the apartment, Val gestured for them to slide on their masks. Lewla and Fixit obeyed, and Val did the same. 

Even with a mask on, Val had a feeling that Sate would know who she was. 

Which wouldn’t matter.

Lewla struck first, expertly slipping the wiry transparisteel rope around Sate’s neck and yanking backwards, pulling him into the alleyway. He lashed out with a well aimed kick that knocked a lunging Fixit away. Before he managed to overpower Lewla, Val was there, stepping out of the shadows and plunging her blade, hard, into his gut. 

Sate Pestage gasped. She twisted, and felt his hands clamor at her wrist. He was weakening, Lewla tightening her grip around his neck. Eventually his grip slackened and Val managed to pull the knife free and plunge it into his torso again. 

And again. 

Again. _Again._

She stopped. Sate’s eyes were wide, irises huge as he stared at his masked attackers. His red robes were dark, blood seeping from his wounds and onto Val’s quivering hands. 

Val pulled the knife free. Lewla released Sate, letting him slide against the alley walls. 

She knelt, tempted to tear off her mask and let Sate take a good, long look at her. She didn’t, for the sheer fact that doing so would put Lewla and Fixit at risk, but she could see the recognition flash across Sate’s pale face as he lay dying. 

“Y-you  _ witch _ .” 

Val said nothing. She just held her bloody knife and watched the life drain from Sate’s eyes. His head drooped to the side, and in a matter of seconds, he was dead. 

Val licked her fingers clean of his blood. For a brief moment, the warm, salty, tangy taste was nearly orgasmic. Val quickly composed herself, wiping the rest of the blood on her cloak and staring down one last time at Sate’s cooling corpse. 

“Leave him. I want someone to find him,” Val looked around. The area was empty, devoid of any pedestrians. This was Imperial territory. 

They hurried away. Sate’s death was already a thing of the past to Val. She had other targets. More important targets. 

She’d do what was in her nature. Nothing was stopping her.

Not anymore.

* * *

“Start gathering information on every official coming in to Coruscant. HoloNet reports. I want _all_ of it,” Val threw her cloak across the chair. Calistor was watching, his eyes narrowed as Val paced the room. “We have to start planning.”

“Planning for what?”

Val glared at Calistor, and he seemed to back off for a second. “We’re planning our  _ strike _ . This is the perfect opportunity.”

“We’re assassins now?” 

“If we’re going to be taken seriously, yes. There’s a reason you’re all confined to this dingy, decommissioned yacht from a century ago,” Val snarled. “There’s a reason all of your supplies and funding come from a single twi’lek banker. You’re short in members because you haven’t done a  _ kriffing _ thing in the past to put you on the map.”

Calistor fell silent. The entire yacht had fallen silent, with everyone’s attention now focused on the scene unfolding before them. Val, with her arms crossed and a sneer on her face, and Calistor, their leader, looking reluctant. 

_ He’s weak. _

_ He’s a coward. _

“Do you want this group to grow, Calistor?” 

“Yes.”

“Do you want it to _prosper_? Do you want your message to spread across the galaxy?” Val approached, chin raised. While Calistor was still  _ physically _ taller, Val  _ felt  _ bigger. She  _ was _ bigger, and she wondered just how many of Calistor’s followers realized it. 

“Was killing this Sate Pestage not enough?” Calistor replied. He grit his teeth, throwing up his arms and stepping away from Val. “I’m not disagreeing with you. I’m just wondering how we plan on accomplishing all of this, considering our numbers and our limited supplies.”

“Call Zitwaje. Get in contact with people willing to stand against this  _ Empire _ ,” Val wrinkled her nose at the very word. “Right now, we should have a single goal. Forget anarchy. The Empire has to die. People on the inside...people with the Empire have to die-”

Val was shaking. Her skin felt cold and clammy. Whatever composure she’d had earlier she lost in an instant.

_ They have to die. They all have to die - _

_ Have to...die.  _

_ He has to die. _

Val braced an arm against the back of a chair, swallowing thickly. Calistor took control of the conversation immediately.

“The Coruscant Police are swarming every nook and cranny of Galactic City right now. You going after that man was a _risk_ ,” Calistor leaned in close, his breath tickling Val’s skin.  “If we’re going to do what you suggest we do, I’m going to need your... _ intuition _ at my disposal. Fully.” 

“The force is always on my side. It never lies,” Val growled. “You will have it.”

“Good,” Calistor grinned. “Now, go lay down. You look sickly.”

Val shouldered her way past Calistor and headed towards the back of the yacht. The minute she was confident she was away from prying eyes, she sagged against the wall. 

The thought of killing Calistor invaded her mind. She envisioned herself taking her knife and thrusting it into his skull over and over and over and over until she could peel it back and stab his brain - 

“Are you okay?” 

Soft blue eyes stared down at Val. Lewla was kneeling over her, brow furrowed with genuine concern. 

“I’m fine,” Val croaked. “I’m okay I just..need...time.” 

“What you said back there made sense. Too bad everyone thinks you’re crazy,” Lewla shrugged. “Calistor just going to take your idea and pass it off as his own.”

“Let him. As long as we get it don’t, I don’t care who takes the credit,” Val waved a hand, finally managing to stand back up. 

_ They think you’re crazy. _

_ You are not crazy. _

“It’s better if you don’t...challenge Calistor again,” Lewla said. “He has a mean streak.”

_ You are not crazy. _

Val wasn’t listening to Lewla anymore. She was repeating the phrase over and over, trying to embed it into the core of her mind. She wasn’t crazy. She couldn’t be crazy. She was _Val_. Val wasn’t crazy.

Killing Lewla suddenly felt very,  _ very _ appropriate. They were alone. Val had her knife at her hip. She was already stronger than the twi’lek woman, anyway. 

_ Kill her! _

“Val?”

Val said nothing. She just stood there, trembling like a leaf with bloodshot eyes focused on the ground.

“I’ll just go, then,” Lewla quietly excused herself. Val watched her go.

_ I am not crazy. _

* * *

“Charin Troy, some bigwig from Eriadu, has the laxest security,” Calistor said. Val kept her head down, pretending to eat her dinner. While it certainly wasn’t appetizing, it would give her enough energy to survive the rest of the night. “What do you know about him, Val?”

“I saw him a few times. He and Pal - the Emperor - are close. I don’t know what it is he does. I don’t remember. Don’t care.” 

“If he’s on this caravan detail, he has to be important. That’s all that matters, right? Going after _ important _ people,” Calistor mocked. Drut snorted and Fixit shot him a look. “I mean, hey, it’s a _ smart _ idea. Or a stupid one. We don’t really know which yet.” 

“We’ll have to play this one by ear,” Val said. “I can...try and sense him later. See where he’s staying, what security looks like.”

Calistor looked skeptical, but he nodded. “Do whatever you need to do.”

That night, Val meditated. Her mind was in a frenzy, and she didn’t want to regress. She still had to train and practice, regardless of whether or not she had Palpatine to guide her. Her insatiable curiosity, he’d once told her, was one of her greatest strengths. She’d never stop learning. She’d never allow herself to stop learning.

Calistor had been right - Charin Troy’s security was lax. Val sat in the back of his mind and watched him go about his day. His wife and children were with him, Val noticed, though she could have cared less. The more she stayed in his mind the more she longed to see Palpatine, her cover be damned. She wanted to see him, if only for a second. It was strange to her that he had yet to reach out, despite their minds being connected. Maybe he'd found a new, more attractive force-sensitive woman to string along and play games with. Maybe taking Anakin as his apprentice had satisfied him enough. Val didn't know, but she wanted - no, needed - to know. 

Val didn’t know how many hours she spent in deep meditation, connected to Charin through the force. When she finally pulled away and opened her eyes, the room was pitch black and the yacht had fallen silent. 

Charin Troy was going to die. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I was trying to really think of someone in Palpatine's inner circle who Val could take out, and Sate seemed like the most appropriate candidate :( rip. 
> 
> 2\. I honestly had a great time writing this "new" version of Val, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it XD.


	13. Chapter 13

Val watched as Calistor, Lewla, and Drut donned their cloaks and concealed their weapons. They were going out, and when they returned, Val prayed that they would have Charin Troy with them.

If they didn’t, it would be _her_ fault. 

Val remained seated as Calistor barked orders to the rest of the group. They moved around Val like insects, and she could feel Calistor’s glare on her when he realized that she was the only one not moving. Time was short, so Calistor wouldn’t get the chance to scold her for her insolence. 

Val could feel Fixit’s gaze on her. The man, Val was starting to realize, didn’t talk. At all. He spoke in grunts and nods and occasionally single syllable words, but even that was a rarity. His entire time was dedicated to tech, from decoding to hacking. If it was a machine, he could figure it out. 

_ What can you do?  _

An hour droned on by. Then another. Another. The sky was starting to darken, and night fell quicker than Val had anticipated. It wasn’t until later during the night that the doors to the yacht slid open. 

Calistor entered first, followed by Lewla. They each had two people by the arm, two blindfolded adults and two younger children, both blindfolded as well. 

Val immediately recognized them.

“You were supposed to go for Troy,” Val’s tongue felt huge in her mouth. “You w-ere supposed-”

“And what? Leave witnesses?” Calistor tore off his mask. Drut used his massive size to force the four captives onto their knees. 

“Unhand my wife and children, _please_!” Charin Troy begged. “ _Please_ , whatever dispute you have, it is with me, _not_ them-”

“Shut up,” Val snarled. The man fell silent. The children whimpered. 

Calistor raised his arms in a placating gesture. Val stood, approaching the four figures while Lewla took up position by the door, just as a precaution. Though he was blindfolded, Charin Troy seemed to sense that he was outnumbered. Val angrily reached down and yanked the cloth from around his eyes. 

He blinked, adjusting to the light. 

He noticed Val, _ recognized _ her, and growled. 

"I'd heard rumors that you were _dead_ , Val Semper.”

“Those rumors were wrong."

“You’ve taken cases on my planet before,” Charin Troy sneered. “What has Eriadu done to invoke your ire?” 

“Promised to support the Emperor.”

“Ah. So your conflict is with him?”

“My conflict is with _you_ by association,” Val’s eyes drifted over to his wife. She was a pretty woman, her face showing little signs of age, like her husband, but she was innocent enough. The children couldn’t have been any older than ten. A girl and a boy. 

“They’re going to be perfect Imperial soldiers one day, huh?” Val hissed. Charin’s gaze wavered and he grit his teeth. “Is that why you brought them here? To show them the great glory that is the Galactic Empire?”

“We do what we have to do to get by in this world,” Charin said honestly. “You must know that Eriadu’s involvement with the Empire is not personal and is no affront to you."

"Do you think any of that matters to me?"

Charin Troy smiled, though it was not a mirthful smile. It was a hesitant smile, one meant to put the other person at ease. 

"With the Empire at our backs, Eriadu will soon have limitless resources. It would be foolish not to take advantage of that," Charin glanced over at his wife. "Release my family and I will share Eriadu's riches with you. That is a promise. Word of this will _never_ reach the Emperor."

"He probably knows you're here, but he doesn't care," Val ignored the muffled gasp from Lewla and the bewildered look from Calistor. "If he does, he's not coming. It's why we chose you. You've pledged yourself and your planet to an Emperor that will just throw it away when no longer useful."

"He _knows_?" Calistor hissed, stepping forward. Val shoved him away and continued. 

"You are an ally of the Empire, and that makes you my enemy," Val snarled. "Your children are going to grow into perfect little Imperial soldiers and continue this train of sickness."

"My eldest son wants to be a painter!" Troy shouted. "He's never picked up a blaster and I'm certain he never will!"  


"Will you let him paint? Or will you poison his mind like the Emperor has poisoned yours?"

"You know nothing about me, or my family, yet you cast judgment as if you're some sort of divine authority-"

"This is not judgment, this is justice."  


"Your sense of justice is incredibly skewed!"

“It's not,” Val said shakily. Her hands palmed the ceremonial knife strapped to her thigh. “You’re all sick in the head. You’re a disease that I have to destroy. All of you.” 

“Val-” Calistor began. 

“No, no. I’m going to do what we’re supposed to do.”

“Don’t-”

Val pulled the knife and buried it in the skull of Charin Troy’s wife. His scream echoed around the yacht and Drut had to leap forward to keep him from putting his hands around Val’s neck. 

The children were crying. 

Calistor made no move to stop Val as she yanked the knife free. There was blood on her hands and then on her face and in his eyes and mouth and nose and everywhere -

Everything was red. Everything was red and she went through the motions as if she were a droid, programmed for a specific purpose. Yet, unlike a droid, she took pleasure in what she did. 

_ You are not crazy. _

Charin’s screams died out when Val slit his throat. He went limp, his blood painting the floor red. 

Lewla was watching on in horror. Fixit’s face was buried in his datapad. Only Drut seemed the most composed, his expression stoic, though his brows were furrowed. 

Val pointed the knife at Calistor. “We have to do more.” 

“This _is_ more. You said the Emperor _knows_ ,” Calistor was frantic, glancing around the room for help. “We almost got caught trying to-”

“No, no. More. We have to do more. Nobody is going to miss this - he barely had any security. We have to...do more. Go further-”

Calistor stormed across the room. He gestured to Drut and the others, motioning for them to stay. He gripped Val’s arms and pulled her away from the carnage and to the back of the yacht, away from any questing eyes. 

“You’re sick. Something is _wrong_ with you-”

“I’m not crazy. I’m not crazy. I’m _ not _ ,” Val clicked her tongue and shoved Calistor away. “I’m saying that this can’t be all. We have to do more if we’re going to reach our goal-”

“What goal? What goal, Val, what is your goal?”

“Kill him.” 

“Kill who? Palpatine? You think we stand a chance-”

“You’re a coward, Calistor. You’re a kriffing _ coward _ . I knew it-”

“I’m  _ not _ a coward, I’m a  _ realist _ . What you’re proposing isn’t realistic. I indulged you because I thought you’d eventually realize how absurd your plan was.”

_ Weak! He’s weak. _

“It’s not absurd.”

“ _ Val _ ,” Calistor reached for her, but she batted his hand away. “Whatever happened between you and him? Whatever it was? You have to let it go.”

“No. No, no, I can’t. He has to die.”

“You really think this ‘Empire’ is going to be any different than the Republic? It’s all the same. Corruption, deceit…”

“Are you going to do something about it?” Val shouted. 

“We _are_.”

“You weren’t before. All you did was talk. All you did was spew your ideology but you never let the galaxy _see_ it-”

“Do  _ you _ even believe in our ideology, or are you just using us and our resources?” 

Val hissed. Calistor nodded, raising a finger. He went to speak, and Val thrust her knife upwards. The blade went through the bottom of his jaw and through his tongue and came out of his mouth. His eyes fluttered, his mouth perpetually age. 

Calistor made a terrible, gurgling choking sound. Blood spewed from his mouth like a fountain, and his arms flailed. 

Val pulled the knife free and he collapsed against the wall, his wound gushing like a waterfall. 

She stabbed him a dozen more times until he fell still. 

Val walked back into the common area. Charin and his family had been moved over into the corner, their bodies covered by a blanket. Someone was aggressively scrubbing the floor. A dozen pairs of eyes locked on to Val as she entered the room, covered in much more blood than before. 

No words had to be spoken. They knew what had happened.

“He was  _ afraid _ ,” Val said simply. “He wasn’t the leader you all need.”

“And you are?” Lewla said shrilly. Her hands were trembling, clutching tightly to her blaster. Yet, she did not raise it. “You want us to follow  _ you _ ?”

“I want you to  _ trust _ me, just as you’ve been doing. We’re all here for a reason. We’re living in this dingy old yacht for a reason, right?

“Calistor lost sight of that,” Drut stood, his hulking body dominating the room. Val stared up at him and smiled. 

“That, Val pointed at Charin’s cooling corpse. “That is just the beginning.”

_ You are not crazy. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Aaaand Val has officially lost her mind. ;)


	14. Chapter 14

_ We have to send them - him - a message.  _

_ We did. _

News of a monorail explosion dominated the new Imperial-controlled HoloNet. The explosion had been manned, a detonation that had left three-hundred dead and another three-hundred injured. Several visiting Imperial officers had been caught in the explosion, charred to a crisp. The bodies of Charin Troy and his family had been found close by, though their deaths were unrelated to the explosion, yet at the same time, related. 

A knife had been found lodged into the chest of Charin Troy. 

Val was _ relishing _ in it. 

Her ragtag little group of anarchists were all over the HoloNet. They’d been dubbed as terrorists. Val, still caught up in an Imperial killing spree, had been dubbed “The Hunter.”

Val’s hands felt if they’d become permanently stained with blood. By the time a month was out, four other Imperial’s had been killed by her hand. The strikes been calculated - Val never went too high, instead bouncing around from different departments and targeting people she knew of. It was always wonderful to watch them recognize her, curse, and then succumb to whatever wound Val had inflicted upon them. 

Zitwaje pulled through with their contacts, and eventually, they were moving out of the yacht to an old underground bunker that had served as storage a century ago. While it was still located in the Industrial District, it was much more fortified and discreet.

With the Empire still organizing itself, the monorail attack would put a dent in whatever power they were trying to establish on Coruscant, if only for a little while. Fear was a perfect motivator to get people questioning things, and Val hoped that such questioning would lead to the public decline of support for Palpatine. 

Palpatine. Someone Val still had not seen, regardless of who she scryed. 

_ She needed to see him. _

Val sat up and looked in the cracked mirror mounted on the wall over by the kitchen area. She’d lost weight - they weren’t eating the types of nutrient rich foods Val was accustomed to - and her skin was paler, dark circles under her eyes purple and pronounced. Sleep wasn’t something she indulged in anymore - the force kept her awake and invigorated. The ability to store energy and draw on it only when needed was something Palpatine had taught her. 

She didn’t feel tired, she just looked it.

“Here,” Lewla set a cup of tea on the table in front of her. “If you’re going to be staying up all night, at least drink something.”

“Thank you,” Val stared straight ahead. Much to her displeasure, Lewla took a seat directly across from her. 

“You know, I don’t disagree with you about Calistor. He was holding us back. You’ve done more for this group in the past month than Calistor did in three years,” Lewla sighed. “I just wish he’d seen your way.”

“It was too late for him.”

“What about the people here that still doubt you? Is it too late for them?”

“They’ll see. They’ll see that I’m not crazy.”

“What if they don’t want to see it?”

Val stared. Lewla’s bright eyes peered at her, mirthful, yet hesitant. 

“I’ll make them see,” Val murmured. “They won’t have a choice.”

Lewla chuckled, sipping her own beverage. 

“Whether you’re crazy or not, you’ve done a good job. Get some rest,” Lewla stood and disappeared towards her own room. Val stared at her tea. It wasn’t the blend she typically had and enjoyed - the one Palpatine had so carefully crafted and made to cater to her taste. It wasn’t until recently that Val had begun to realize how attentive of a lover he’d been, and how many things he’d managed to draw from her. 

“Fixit,” Val called. The small man looked up from his datapad, staring at Val, and indication that his ears were open. “Have you found a suitable location for our next attack?”

He shook his head.

Val scowled, finally picking up and sipping her tea - she put it back down immediately.

_ The Opera House. _

_ Bomb that. _

Val shook her head, murmuring to herself. It wouldn’t work. She couldn’t bomb it. She couldn’t. That was where…

_ She couldn’t. _

Val abandoned her tea and slipped back to her room. She immediately fell into meditation, sitting with her legs crossed on her bed. She simply let herself drift for a while, not picking a specific target and instead just letting herself cruise through a sea of minds. She could feel anything and everything. She felt like she  _ was _ anything and everything. 

Over a hundred lives had been snuffed out at Val’s command. She was the mastermind behind it all. However, it was still... _ different. _ She wasn’t killing them. She wasn’t watching the life drain from them. She couldn’t feel and taste their blood -

It wasn’t the same, but it would do. For now.

Palpatine would have chastised her for being impatient. His own mastery of the force had taken decades. Sharpening his political mind had taken even longer. Val wondered if she’d ever become as deceptive and manipulative as he. 

He’d wriggled his way into Val’s stony heart easier than any man could have. Val had trusted and loved him, and even if he hadn’t given her love in return…

She still wanted him. 

_ This is all for him.  _

Val’s eyes shot open, and she growled. She could hear Lewla and some others talking in the common room, and she donned her cloak. She could feel Lewla and Drut stare as she huffed and stormed out of the hideout. 

She headed towards the Opera House. The influx of people confirmed Val’s suspicions that there was a show tonight. She stuck to the crowd, keeping her head ducked as she walked up the red-trimmed steps and into the building. It was as if her feet moved automatically, as the place was familiar to her - it was the one area on Coruscant that didn’t feel _ tainted _ , and she knew that Palpatine’s admiration for the arts would save it from any destruction. 

She sensed him the moment she entered the room, and she was well aware that he’d probably sensed her before she even walked up the steps. 

_ This is risky. You’re an idiot. You’re - _

Val could make out his box through a small sliver of space between a pillar and the wall. She could see him, sitting, his face concealed by the hood over his head. 

Her heartbeat quickened.

There was a woman sitting next to him now. She leaned over at such an angle that Val knew she was showing herself off to him. The dress she wore was entirely too tight and entirely too thin and -

The woman had dark hair, like Val. Dark hair and pale skin and deep, _ deep _ brown eyes. 

Palpatine did not touch her, but it was apparent that he was acknowledging her. She took a seat next to him, and then continued to watch the show. Every so often the woman would peer over at Palpatine with a look Val knew all too well.

_ Rage _ boiled within her.

It was easy for Val to stay and wait, then. She hid out in an alley right near the Opera House, stoic, her eyes scanning the crowd as the performance finished. She saw Palpatine, flanked by four RedRobes, and the woman - the  _ damn woman _ with the pretty face and dark hair that looked so much like Val that it couldn’t be a coincidence. It couldn’t. 

She smiled and bowed to her Emperor. It was easy to follow her after that - she had no security. Nobody watching her back. Not a single RedRobe had been sent to escort her back home - she wasn’t an official, no. She was probably just some girl. Some woman that Palpatine had been using to fill whatever void had been left by Val’s absence. Her lack of protection was enough to tell Val that she’d probably been hired as public arm-candy. The apartment she lived in was modest enough - the woman had money, but not enough. 

As she went to open the door of her apartment, Val watched - it was only then that she seemed to notice Val’s figure standing down the hall. She paused, squinting, as if she was unsure of what she was seeing. 

Then, in a light, sing-song voice she said, “Can I help you?”

Val said nothing. 

The woman radiated fear. She was shaking. She was going to move, run inside, unless Val acted -

She tried to slide into her apartment but Val was faster. They tumbled into the room together, the door hissing shut. The woman was weak, feeble, her punches and kicks doing nothing to Val.

Val pulled out her knife - a new knife, this one long and sharp and curved - and slit the woman’s throat as she screamed. Blood stained her white dress red and she gasped like a fish, mouth open.

Val _ watched.  _

She bled out, one hand clutching the end of Val’s cloak. It was cathartic - she was dead. She was gone. She was no more. 

It was done.

Val used the woman’s refresher and washed the blood from her face and knife. She stepped over a corpse and exited the apartment, flipping her hood up and continuing back down the way she came. 

When she returned to the hideout, Lewla, Drut, and a few others were waiting - the place fell silent the moment Val entered. 

“Where did you go?” Lewla immediately asked. It wasn’t accusatory, just curious, though Val wasn’t in the mood to describe what she’d done. It was as if an invisible fist had closed around her lungs, reducing her voice to a croak. 

“Out.”

“Out?” A scraggly looking man - Dovas, if Val remembered correctly - “You went ‘hunting’ again, didn’t you?”

“Watch your tone,” Val murmured. 

“Every time you decide you want to go out there and screw around, just remember who you’re putting in danger,” Davos snapped. “We all-”

Val flicked her wrist and slit his throat. Lewla gave a loud gasp and Fixit dropped his datapad. Davos toppled, clutching at his wound until his body could no longer handle the loss of blood. 

The hideout fell deathly silent. Val glared, her eyes fluttering, at Lewla, Fixit, and the small crowd of vagabonds. Some looked disgusted, some were horrified, and others enraged. She saw a twi’lek woman’s fingers twitch and slowly palm the blaster at her side. 

“I’m guessing Calistor put up with disrespect as well?” Val said coolly. 

“He put up with a lot,” Lewla said softly. “We all did.”

“That changes.”

“We don’t want things to change,” the twi’lek woman drew her blaster. Lewla went to stop her, but Drut extended a big hand. 

Maybe it was luck, or maybe it was the force. Val didn’t feel the blaster shot tear through her. Instead, an explosion so powerful rocked the hideout that she was blown back, dust and debris coating her mouth. Her head slammed against the ground and she blacked out momentarily, blood gushing from her nostrils. For a moment she couldn’t see through all the smoke, and screams filled the air. 

_ This is worse than a blaster shot to the chest.  _

Val sat up. She saw Lewla start to run past, only for a blaster shot to tear her head clean from her shoulders. Val could only watch in morbid fascination as her blue body toppled, smoking from the top. 

She crawled back until her back hit the wall. The smoke was clearing - the Coruscant Police were swarming the hideout like blue-garbed bugs, firing at anyone and everything.

Anyone and everything  _ but _ Val.

Val sensed a presence she thought she’d never feel again. 

“ _ Ani _ ,” Val tried to stand, but swayed on her feet and toppled back to the floor. Her ears were ringing. She blast had stunned her, and she was powerless. 

The creature that emerged from the swirling dust was neither man nor machine. It’s breathing was heavy - so, so heavy - that Val could hear it, each inhalation steady, followed by a smaller exhalation. It was all black, and the lightsaber it wielded was blood-red. 

_ That’s not Anakin. That can’t be. _

Yet it was him. Val knew it was him. She would never forget what family felt like.

“What happened to you? What did they do to you Ani?” Val scrambled forward, finally gathering enough strength to reach for him. “Oh, no, no, no, no, _no_.”  
He slapped Val so hard that her head snapped to the side and blood splattered against the floor. 

“You will no longer address me by that name. My title is  _ Vader _ , nothing else.”

“You’re playing dress up, now?” Val sneered. Behind him, Drut groaned, crumpled into a heap on the ground and trying to crawl away while his legs lay severed beside him. “Padme is dead, Anakin.  _ She’s dead _ .” 

“I’m well aware.”

“It was your fault,” Val barked a laugh. She laughed again when she realized she couldn’t gauge Vader’s physical reaction, but she could feel the spikes of rage through the force. “She’s dead and it’s  _ your fault _ -”

An invisible hand suddenly gripped Val by the throat and slammed her against the wall. It didn’t deter her. She kept talking, kept screaming. 

“You’re a kriffing coward! You betrayed Obi-Wan! You betrayed the Republic!  _ You betrayed me _ ! You’re a traitor-” 

Vader approached, his fists still clenched as he held Val against the wall.

“You had a family. Obi-Wan and I were your family,” Val sobbed. “And now you’re stuck as this machine, this monster, I hate you,  _ I hate you _ -”

The pressure on her throat increased. She couldn’t speak, and was struggling for air. 

“You’ve gone mad,” Vader said. He paused. His fingers twitched, as if they were itching to grab his lightsaber. “But my master still wants you. Alive.”

Val dropped like a sack of rocks.

She floated between consciousness and unconsciousness, acutely aware of Vader picking her up off the ground and tossing her over his armored shoulder. She could taste the dust and hear the Coruscant Police as they checked to ensure that no one was left alive. The short amount of time it had taken for Val’s little group of anarchist to be destroyed was _ shocking _ \- they hadn’t stood a chance. Not against something this powerful.

_ You don’t really care, do you?  _

_ You’re going home. _


	15. Chapter 15

Val was not presented before Palpatine the way she’d anticipated. She was dragged to his apartment, the same space she’d spent countless nights wrapped up in his embrace. It was painful to be back here, and Val was sure Palpatine had chosen the spot for that exact reason. 

He was waiting for her, sitting like a rigid statue. He rose when Val entered, peering at her with narrowed eyes and approaching slowly. She couldn’t read his expression at all - it was as if he were seeing her for the very first time.

“I commend you for bringing her to me unharmed,” Palpatine glanced up at Vader. “I’m sure she made a fuss.”

Val slapped Palpatine across the face, hard.

Vader’s dark, gloved fist connected with Val’s gut before she had a chance to speak. The impact alone was like getting hit by a speeding monorail - she doubled over and fell to her knees, letting out a keening wail. 

Palpatine didn’t seem affected by Val’s assault. He just watched, giving Val a few moments to compose herself before reaching down, grabbing her arm, and dragging her across the room. Val kicked and cried but Palpatine’s grip was like iron, and she couldn’t escape. 

“Leave us,” Palpatine gestured at Vader. He left without reluctance, heavy boots pounding against the red carpet. 

Spindly fingers stroked Val’s cheek as she doubled over and sobbed. Palpatine had taken a seat next to her and was simply _watching_. She couldn’t bear to look into his hideous, yellow eyes. Not yet. Not until he spoke.

“You still don’t understand, do you? No matter how hard you try to avoid it, you will _always_ be brought back to me,” Palpatine’s expression was that of sympathy. He let his palm rest against Val’s cheek, cradling her face as if it were the most delicate thing in the galaxy. He said, “You are like a part of the force I have yet to discover.”

“I hate myself,” Val murmured. “I hate myself because everything I did out there, I did for you. I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t...that I didn’t need you - I do. I need you.”

“I need you as well. I need you at my side. You are almost complete,” Palpatine said. “You have shown me your passion, but now, I need to see _more_ of you.”

“What do I need to do?”

Palpatine smiled.

Val should have never asked.

Maybe she was delirious, but the moment she spoke Palpatine gestured and his Redrobe guards stored into the room, brandishing batons. Val didn’t feel the first volt of electricity, but the second flung her from her seat and onto the carpet. 

She hit the ground and her ears rang. She heard Palpatine chuckle, and she screamed. 

Everything went dark. 

* * *

Val’s entire body hurt. Her limbs felt as if they’d been set on fire, and when she managed to muster the strength to look down, she found that she was suspended several feet from the ground. The restraints were bright blue and hot, cutting into her skin even tighter with each movement. The room was dark, save for a torch burning a blue light in the center. 

A gloved hand gripped her jaw. When she lifted her head she found herself staring into the blank, soulless, mask of Darth Vader.

_Anakin._

Val writhed, pulling away from him. Vader kept a tight grip on her face, and she felt tears rim her eyes. 

_He ruined you, Anakin._

Vader slapped her. Val’s head snapped to the side. It was hard and fast and she tasted blood. 

“Anakin Skywalker is dead. He died the moment he accepted the dark side,” Vader growled. “You’d do best to keep his name out of your thoughts.”

“I can’t.”

“Come. Again?”

“I can’t,” Val raised her voice. She desperately wished she could read Vader’s expression, see his face, anything. That mask was disturbing and inhuman. “I can’t, Ani. I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Vader fell silent. After a moment he released his hold on Val, standing with his arms crossed. 

“I will have to _burn_ that name from your mind, then.” 

“You can’t burn anything. I won’t forget,” Val replied. She chuckled. “Big, bad Vader. You can’t do anything to me.”

“I can, and I will. My master has given me permission to break you and mold you into the Sith you were always meant to be.”

“I’m not Sith-”

Another slap. Val’s tongue felt huge in her mouth. Her forehead was sweaty and her hair clung to her skin. 

“Whether or not you accept the title, you _will_ be a servant of the Empire,” Vader said. “Accepting that fact will make this much easier on you.”

“When have I been anything other than stubborn?” Val grinned. 

Vader waved a hand, made a motion, did something with the force - the bonds around Val’s ankles and wrists and waist tightened before Val felt the most _indescribable pain._

It shattered her brain and her body. She spasmed, bleating screams rising from within her. 

It stopped as suddenly as it had come, leaving her gasping and panting while Vader just _watched._

_Neveragainneveragainneveragaain -_

“My master wishes for you to experience true, exquisite agony,” Vader said conversationally. It was as if Val’s shrieks hadn’t phased him. “It is punishment for your transgressions against the Empire, and for your integration into his order.”

Val’s limbs were shaking. She glared daggers at Vader, ignoring the spittle flying from her lips as she spoke.

“He said I wasn’t complete.”

“You are not. You lack coordination,” Vader explained. “Your interactions with the Jedi muddled your true nature. Kenobi _dirtied_ you, and now you must be _cleansed_.”

_Kenobi._

_Kenobi. Obi-Wan._

_Him._

“I love Obi-Wan.”

“You love my master,” Vader corrected. “Love is powerful. So powerful, in fact, that the only love you should permit yourself to feel is love for my master.”

“Palpatine-”

“Sidious,” Vader snapped. 

Val nodded drunkenly. That, apparently, wasn’t sufficient enough and Vader brought her more pain.

She screamed.

_So much pain._

“What about Padme? Did you love her?” Val blurted, jolted from her haze. Vader’s posture was enough to let her know that she’d struck a nerve, and she braced herself for the wave of agony that followed.

It was worse, this time. The binds pulled and twisted her limbs. She was hollering, shrieking.

_Stopstopstop_

“Stop! _Stop!”_

Vader grabbed her face again. Suddenly Val felt as if she were speaking to Anakin again, not the husk of a man that was Darth Vader.

_“Do not speak her name.”_

Val spat on him. The globule landed on the curve of his mask, right near his mouth.

There was no pain. Vader released her and slowly wiped it away.

“You don’t understand,” Vader growled. When Val refused to look into his eyes, he grabbed her by the hair and twisted her neck so she had no other option _but_ to look at him. “You have no other option. Nowhere to run, no one to call - Kenobi will not save you. The Emperor has offered you a place at his side, where you will be bathed with luxuries. You will be the most powerful woman in the galaxy.”

“You think that’s all it is? Luxury? You should know better, Vader, that there’s always more with him. There’s always more. And I’m sure you know what it is but you won’t tell me,” Val groaned as Vader’s grip on her hair tightened. “What is it? Why does he want me to change? Why does he want me?”

“He craves power. You are the epitome of power, and you have the ability to give him an apprentice,” Vader rumbled. “One bound to him by blood.”

“You’re lying…”

“Have I ever lied to you?” Vader snarled. 

_No. Never._

“I want to see him,” Val’s lips trembled. For a moment she didn’t think that Vader would ever acknowledge her request, but to her surprise, he nodded and stepped back. 

“I don’t have the patience for this. I’ve indulged you long enough.”

He must have already been waiting, for with a wave of his hand, and Palpatine was strolling into the room, dark robes swishing around his ankles. Stopped next to Vader, scrutinizing Val. Unlike with Vader, she could look into his eyes and read his expression. It was refreshing. 

_Would you have been able to look into Anakin’s eyes, anyway?_

“When I said I loved you, I meant it,” Val began. She saw Vader stiffen and Palpatine’s lips stretch into a grotesque smile. “But we’re not the same. We never will be.”

“You are a _rabid animal_ ,” Palpatine said bluntly. “You caused the deaths of hundreds, and you’ve slaughtered dozens more yourself. I recognized your savagery when we first met. I did a poor job of taming it. That is one regret that I have.”

“Rabid animals get put down. That’s what you should do. Kill me.”

“Why would I do that to the woman I cherish so dearly?” 

Val felt as if someone had stabbed her in the heart. Hearing those words hurt worse than Vader’s torture ever would. 

“You’re a _bastard_ , Sheev Palpatine.”

“My _bastardry_ has made me the most powerful being in the galaxy,” Palpatine leaned in closer. “You and I are the same, Val. You are so close to giving yourself what you so desperately want. Yet I sense something blocking your ability to give yourself to me fully and forever.”

Val let her head hang. The hatred flowing through her was not hatred for Palpatine, or Vader, but hatred for herself. 

_I’ve let him down._

“ _Kenobi_ ,” Palpatine sneered “You still cling to the lifeless hope that one day you can be with him.”

“She _loves_ him, Master,” Vader rumbled. Palpatine’s face morphed into something grotesque, something even more inhuman. His rage was palpable. For a brief moment Val thought he would kill her, right then, right there. “She loves him while also loving you,” Vader added.

“How sickening. That Jedi corrupted you much worse than I had imagined,” Palpatine mused. After a long pause, he waved a hand and said, “It is no matter. It will be remedied.”

The restraints slackened. Val dropped to the floor, hard. She gasped when she felt Vader undo the clasps around her ankles and wrists, but her body wouldn’t move until she willed it to do so, inch by inch, foot by foot. She pulled herself from the ground like a staggering drunk. 

Palpatine summoned something from beneath his cloak to rest in his hand. 

It was his lightsaber. 

“Come and take it.”

Val didn’t move.

 _“Take it!”_ Vader bellowed.

Val pitched forward, swiping the saber from Palpatine’s hands. Shaky fingers closed around the hilt like a lifeline, and she turned to face Vader. Palpatine stepped back, retreating once more into the shadows. 

Vader ignited the saber. Brilliant red filled the otherwise dark room, and the light became tenfold when Vader did the same with his weapon. She could see slivers of his haunting mask as he paced around her like a predator. 

He swung his saber and Val barely countered it. It was a vicious movement that sent Val reeling back.

“Why are you cowering like a scared child?” Vader questioned. “I can sense so much _hate_ in your heart.”

Val gripped her - no, Palpatine’s - lightsaber. It hummed beneath her fingers. The weapon made her feel powerful. Unstoppable. She roared and lunged, bringing the saber down with bruising force. Vader blocked, but Val held firm and shoved as hard as she could.

Vader’s grip on his own weapon faltered. Val lashed out with a kick, aiming for his armored knee. He groaned, but did not budge.

_Grab his mask._

_Rip it off._

Val reached for it, but Vader managed to finally force himself into gaining the upper hand. One long arm reached out to grab a fistful of Val’s hair - it was a tug of war, now, Val’s neck straining as he yanked her head back. He pushed with the other hand, forcing Val’s own saber dangerously close to her throat. 

_No, no, no -_

Val screamed and banged her free fist against his mask. 

“If Kenobi were here, I’d kill him,” Vader hissed. “I’d kill him and make you _witness it_.”

Val reached out with the force. She heard him give a breathy groan and his grip slackened. His gloved metal hand was cracking, bending under the weight of the force. 

_Good. Good._

Val lost track of all sense of time. All sense of feeling. All sense of self. In the distance she heard shrieking - Vader’s shrieking - and the shouts of the guards as the entire room trembled. She could have sworn she’d heard Palpatine laughing.

And then, nothing.


	16. Chapter 16

When Val awoke, she felt a soft mattress beneath her, and a warm sheet was covering her sore body. 

The ceiling was dark. Everything was dark, the room sprinkled with shades of crimson. It was familiar. So, so familiar. 

She was in Palpatine’s room, she realized. She was in his bed.

She became conscious of a burning around her throat, like had been rubbed raw by a rope. She gasped, and it hurt to talk. She was also aware of a pain in her chest. 

Her eyes darted around the room. They landed on a dark shape, and Palpatine all but glided over to her. He didn’t speak - he just sat on the edge of the bed, reached out with those so frail yet so strong hands, and let his palm rest against Val’s cheek. 

“What did you do-”

“You attempted to kill Lord Vader,” Palpatine’s fingers slowly drifted towards the burning bruises on her neck. As he traced the tender skin, Val was horrified to realize that the markings were from a hand. A rough hand. 

“Is he-”

“No, you did not succeed. He is in his bacta-tank, licking his wounds,” Palpatine hummed. “Such wounds can be fixed.”

_ A hand around her throat. Vader, kneeling on his one good leg as he strangled Val into unconsciousness. _

“How did I...I don’t remember trying to kill…”

_ The force. _

“You are complete,” Palpatine murmured. “You are whole. Once Vader’s wounds heal, he will take you as his apprentice. Then, we will be married. Once you become powerful enough, you will  _ end _ Vader. The Sith will exist solely through you and I.” 

“What if I don’t want that.”

“You want it. I know you do. I know you better than you know yourself. I always have.”

Val was scared. She believed him.

“If I marry you, will I be given agency over this Empire? Or will I merely be a  _ puppet _ -”

“Vader is a puppet. You will never be a puppet, Val. Not to me,” Palpatine stroked her head. “You will be my wife, and my partner in the force. It’s who you were always meant to be. You cannot hide from it and you cannot run from it.”

“You believe in destiny?” Val chuckled. Palpatine’s grey hand slipped to rest against her cheek. Slowly, Val mustered the strength to sit up. She closed her eyes for a moment, basking in the feeling of his skin against hers. When she opened her eyes, she was, as usual, a bit taken aback that the creature she saw in front of her wasn’t the pristine, blue-eyed politician she’d fallen in love with.

There were inklings of  _ him  _ left. Or maybe, this was what he’d always been and Val was just now seeing it.

“You are...repulsed by the way I look.”

“I’m not. You’re just...I’m not used to it.”

“You don’t know how  _ desperately _ I wanted to tell you the truth.”

“You were right, in the end. It was all just a fantasy. It was all temporary,” Val gave a shaky laugh.

“ _ This _ is not temporary,” Palpatine leaned forward and pressed his thin lips against Val’s full ones. When he pulled away, he had a rather boyish smile on his face. “My sweet  _ Empress. _ ”

* * *

“I have pledged myself to the Emperor.”

“Is that so?”

“I’m doing what I have to do.”

Vader was without his armor, his black cape and breastplate lying over near his personal medical droids. He was stripped bare before Val, floating in his bacta-tank, submerged from the neck down and hooked up to wires and machines. Val was having difficult not looking at him. His body was so scarred, so pale and burnt and awful. 

She’d wanted to vomit upon walking into the room. Not because of the grotesqueness, but because it finally hit her that  _ this _ was Anakin. Her brother, though not by blood. Her family. 

_ He’d hit you if he heard you call him family. You aren’t family. Not anymore. _

“I’m going to be your apprentice, soon,” Val murmured. She shifted back and forth, not knowing where to look. Vader’s brow was furrowed as he peered down at her from the tank. 

“It isn’t proper for an apprentice to see her master so vulnerable,” Vader quipped. 

“The Sith hate vulnerability, right?”

“You are not here to discuss the philosophy of the Sith. I can sense it. You’re here for something else,” Vader said lowly. “Did you just come here to tell me of your allegiance to the Empire? If so, I could have figured it out on my own.”

“I came here to see you. To look at you. Palpatine-”

“Sidious,” Vader snarled.

Val paused. She steeled herself, and then continued. “Sidious told me that you were here, healing. I..he wouldn’t tell me what happened. I guess he wasn’t there. You were.”

“Your rampage killed two Redrobes and shattered one of my legs. You had no control over the force,” Vader growled. “You were like a child taking her first steps.”

“I wanted to kill you. I had to kill you,” Val spoke to the ground. “I was so angry I had to kill. It was like...with that boy…”

“My master believes that you have allowed your conscience to hold you back, but that you are Sith by design.” 

“What do you believe about me?” Val inquired. Vader’s dark eyes darted across her face.

“I see a troubled private investigator from Alderaan.”

_ I see you. _

_ I see Val. _

“That’s who I am,” Val chuckled. She wiped her eyes - she could feel dampness against her skin. 

“You are struggling with something.”

“I love Sidious. My heart craves him, but I know that he is a monster. The force pulls me to him whenever I try and escape. It’s like it  _ knows _ we’re the same, but I can’t admit it. And it hurts. It hurts so much and I don’t know why, because if we’re the same, I...I shouldn’t care.”

“My master does not love you. He never will,” Vader spoke softly. “Love does not exist in his realm. Only power. You possess an immense amount of power and he wishes to covet that for himself, forever.”

Val crossed her arms and regarded Vader with a scowl. “You’re supposed to be on his side. Why...you’re telling me these things when you should be happy that I’m joining you.” 

“I’m being honest with you, as I’ve always been,” Vader said solemnly. “I feel it justified.”

“Sometimes, I’d rather you lie. Makes things easier,” Val shuffled her foot. When she looked up, the bacta-tank was beginning to drain. His wounds did look better - the burns were less swollen, less inflamed. Yet, Val knew no amount of time in that tank would ever make him look like  _ Anakin _ again. 

It would be almost easier to accept that he was someone new. 

“I want you to lie because it’s not like I have a choice. When you mentioned Obi-Wan...thinking of him broke me. I couldn’t handle it. I did exactly what he wanted. I became whole. Yet, I’ve never felt so in-tune with the force before,” Val said shakily. “I can feel everything. Maybe shedding Kenobi away for good is what I need…”

_ No!  _

Val clenched her fist. She wanted to punch Vader’s bacta-tank, all of a sudden. It was a powerful urge. A violent urge. 

“You must learn control,” Vader said rather soothingly. “You allow yourself to sink into this rage. Rage is useful, but only when you make it useful.” 

“Right,” Val took a deep breath. “Right. Control.”

The tank drained fully and Val watched, mildly fascinated, as the droids began assembling Vader’s armor before placing it over him. His mask was last, clicking into place over his head. That cursed breathing began. 

“To think there would come a day when I would be the master, and you, the apprentice,” Vader rumbled. “You hid your force sensitivity well when we first met.”

“Thank you. 

Vader hummed and brushed past Val. She just stood as the door slid shut, left alone with his medical droids and a drained tank. The silence was deafening, but for some reason, the thought of being alone with non-sentient, artificial creatures programmed to follow your ever seemed nice. 

She wondered if Vader slept in the tank. She wondered how he ate. What he did, now that he was half-man, half machine. 

She wondered if the Anakin she knew had truly died.

* * *

“We will arrive to Naboo shortly.”

Palpatine’s words were clipped. Val didn’t even look up at him. The dress she wore was beautiful, and it was a piece of clothing specifically from Palpatine’s homeworld. However, it wasn’t Val. It wasn’t what she was used to wearing. 

He’d complimented her many times, stating how red suited her. 

Red was his color, not Val’s.

They were married, for all intents and purposes. There had been no ceremony, and she doubted Palpatine would even waste time making a spectacle out of something he found primitive, but at the same time, important. She had no idea if he’d initiate some Sith ritual that would bond them together, or if he’d settle for something traditional. 

Naboo wasn’t unfamiliar to Val, as she’d taken cases on the planet before. The emergence of a new government power had not marred its beauty.

Moenia was even more beautiful, and couldn’t blame Palpatine for using his newfound power to establish a new home here. While she knew he was originally from Convergence, she didn’t dare venture into the subject of why he hadn’t chosen that area instead. 

“Come,” Palpatine extended a hand. Val took it, keeping her head dipped she walked, arm and arm, from the shuttle. She didn’t lift her head into they were inside the building, safe from any questing, questioning eyes. 

“You are quiet,” Palpatine rasped.

“I’m tired.”

“You’ve hardly exerted yourself today,” Palpatine scoffed. “You lie. Be truthful with me.”

“I’m thinking about how strange this is. I’m the most powerful woman in the galaxy,” Val barked a laugh that echoed throughout the wide halls of the mansion. “I went from a private investigator to...this.”

Palpatine was smiling, a warm chuckled rising from deep within his chest. “Indeed you are the most powerful woman in the galaxy. You will only grow stronger.”

Val leaned over and pressed her lips against his cheek. To anyone else, they would look like a cheerful couple. 

The mansion was quiet, secluded, and so, so different from bustling Coruscant. The home overlooked a shimmering lake, and Val could feel the sum against her skin when she walked out onto one of the many balconies. 

“I felt it would be beneficial to get you away from Coruscant. I know you have an aversion to Alderaan - Naboo, I felt, was the proper choice.”

Val could feel him behind her. She had yet to move from the balcony and back into the bedroom. The sun was beginning to set, and Val had changed out of her dress and into a silk nightgown with a hem that tickled her ankles. 

She was transfixed on the way the sun was dipping behind the mountains, casting shadows across the vast lake. 

Palpatine didn’t seem to be enjoying the scenery as much. Instead, he was enjoying her - he approached and began massaging the back of Val’s neck, working away at her sore muscles. 

“I appreciate you thinking of me.” 

“I was thinking of both of us,” Palpatine sighed. “I also enjoy a nice retreat every so often, you know.”

“You chose a perfect place. An artists city.”

“I knew you’d appreciate it.”

_ Quit acting like you do things for me. It’s never for me. It’s always for you. _

Val forced a smile before turning around. Palpatine’s arms immediately snuck around her waist, hugging her against to him. She pressed against his thick robes, tilting her head back and allowing him access to her throat. She felt his teeth graze her jugular and she moaned, rocking against him.

He released her and shuffled over to his large bed with its crimson sheets and mahogany headboard. He removed his hood, and then his cloak, yellow eyes piercing deep into Val’s very core. 

Palpatine beckoned for her. Val moved like an obedient dog, coming to stand between his parted legs. 

No words were spoken. Val tugged her gown over her head, letting it rest on the floor. He scrutinized her body, something he rarely did, letting his eyes follow the curve of her throat, down past her breasts.

“Such a beautiful creature,” Palpatine murmured. His thumb absently circled her hipbone. 

Val leaned forward and kissed him. It was different than last time - she wasn’t as feverish, wasn’t as rushed. It was as if the cool Naboo air had instilled a sense of relaxation into her. Palpatine gave a low chuckle when Val curled her tongue around his. His fingers tugged at her breasts and pinched her nipples and she squealed, rutting into him. Eventually he snarled and shoved her from his lap, pinning her beneath him. He tore her panties away, knelt, and before Val could say a word, dug his tongue into her cunt. 

Val shrieked, clasping a hand over her mouth. His nails raked down her thighs, and she could only hold on to the bedsheets and he sucked and nipped away at her. For a moment, Val was able to forget everything, forget this new version of Palpatine that she was so unfamiliar with. They were back in his Coruscant apartment and he was still Chancellor and she was still smitten with him, his lover and his loyal apprentice. 

He pulled away before Val could reach an earth-shattering orgasm. He bared his blackened teeth and  _ growled.  _

Val pulled him towards her. She undressed him, hastily, not wanting to think about what she was doing. His skin was grey and rough beneath her palms, no longer pale, like she remembered. Nevertheless, she reached for his cock -

Her head snapped to the side. Palpatine had slapped her, hard. 

“Be patient.”

Val gasped. Her face throbbed. 

_ It felt good. _

She swallowed. He kissed her once more, planted her in his lap, and slipped inside of her. 

Val let out a keening cry, relieved to finally feel him. She moved, planting both hands against his chest.

“ _ Look at me _ ,” Palpatine rasped. He reached up and gripped Val’s cheek, fingernails biting into her skin. He forced her to look, yellow eyes wide, a sickening grin stretched across his face. “Enter my mind.”

“I shouldn’t-”

Another slap. Val cried out, clenching around him. Palpatine’s grin widened and he cackled, rearing back and slapping her across the face again. It felt good. It felt so,  _ so _ good. 

“So _resistant,_ ” Palpatine crooned. “Can you do what I ask?” 

“ _Yes_ ,” Val pitched forward. She buried her face against his neck, squeezed her eyes shut, and reached out to him with the force.

Images flooded her mind. 

_ Death. Violence. Passion. Lust. Anger.  _

_ No love.  _

Val yanked herself away, gasping as she came. Palpatine followed, pumping his hips upwards before spilling inside of her. He gave a long, wheezing sigh and held Val against him as if she were his lifeline. 

After a while, his fingers reached down to gently brush against the jagged scar he’d left behind so many months ago. Almost a year, Val realized. A year since the creation of this Empire. 

“I don’t regret what I did,” Palpatine lightly pinched the sliver of raised skin. “While I...harming you does not bring me pleasure, I did what I felt was right. I needed you to be  _ angry _ .”

“Your lies hurt me more.”

“Good.”

Val looked away, but Palpatine gripped her face and forced her to look at him. He said, “That hurt fueled your rampage and your assassinations. It made you stronger.”

“I don’t feel strong,” Val said shakily. “I feel dirty.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“If you don’t know, how do you expect to be rid of it?” Palpatine scowled. 

“I don’t want to be like you.”

“You don’t want to be definition of power?”

“Cold. Heartless. _Evil_ ,” Val sniffed. Palpatine released his hold on her face and she could finally look down at his dark robes. One hand was stroking her back while the other held her around the waist. 

“Those terms are not even worth dissecting. Tell me, does someone cold and heartless train another in the ways of the force? Does someone who is cold and..heartless, do they keep a criminal alive?” 

“You trained me so you could use me.”

“I trained you so that I could _save_ you. Your skills were stifled, and kept from growing. You would not have been content. You were always meant for more than what you gave yourself,” Palpatine looked her up and down. 

“What was I meant for?”

“You were meant to be by my side. Your life had no meaning before you met me,” Palpatine scoffed. “You know it to be true. I gave myself and my knowledge to you, and I will continue giving to you because I…” 

Val waited for him to continue. His brows furrowed and, for the first time, he seemed to have been caught off guard by his own words. 

“I will continue giving to you out of passion,” Palpatine finally said. “It is out of a need to acquire more.”

“Power?”

“Of course,” Palpatine smiled. “That’s all there is.”


	17. Chapter 17

Val was starting to wonder if Palpatine ever did sleep. After all those nights she’d spent in bed with him, she’d been oblivious to the fact that hard sleep, for him, was a rarity. He’d either stay in bed and meditate, or slip away to go force-knows-where. Val had always assumed the reason he was never in bed when she awoke was because of his schedule. He always awoke before her. Always. While there was truth to that, Val was also beginning to wonder if he’d been trying not to become attached. 

He’d been living a lie, then. Now, it was out in the open. He had no reason to slip away during the night. Everything he wanted to do, he’d do openly, around her. 

This most recent night, Val had awoken to find him sitting up, legs crossed. His posture was perfectly straight, impeccable yet rigid as a board. This was one of the rare occasions when Val had an opportunity to see him casually dressed, clad in his nightclothes, and without his hood. His hands were resting in his lap, curled into deadly claws. 

Very gingerly, Val had sat up. Her first instinct was to touch him, hold him, and she followed that instinct and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. She nuzzled her face against his neck and shoulder, purring lightly before closing her eyes and feeling him. 

She’d expected him to snap at her, shove her away or simply stand up and meditate somewhere else. Instead, she felt him deflate - his tense muscles became slack and he let out a slow breath. It was as if Val’s very touch had taken a thousand years worth of stress from his body. 

Moments like these would become fewer and fewer, Val knew. She’d looked inside his mind. She’d seen the sickness within in, one that would surely corrupt her over time. 

“Wear this dress. The color compliments you,” Palpatine murmured. He pointed to the crimson dress laid out on the bed - it was beautiful, intricately woven and designed. Just like her dress from yesterday, Val would have never worn something as rich and beautiful as this. She ran her fingers against the silky material, glancing over her shoulder at Palpatine. 

“Do you wish for me to accompany you?”

“Of course. We will be discussing important imperial matters, and I want you present for it.”

Val had heard him mention earlier that Vader would be present. Val immediately felt sick, but the nausea quickly cleared. 

Val donned her outfit. She sat while Palpatine methodically, and almost rhythmically, brushed out her hair. At the end he stood and admired her for a few moments before extending a hand. Val took it, and they exited the spacious, safe confines of their room. 

Val stuck close to him. Despite the presence of the Red Guard, Palpatine was the one who made Val feel safe and secure. She knew his power and his potential. It dwarfed anything the guards were capable of. 

_ Yet he tried to kill you. _

_ Yet he hurt you. _

_ You crave him.  _

_ Monster. _

Val nearly froze when she turned a corner, still wrapped around Palpatine. The large table in the center of the dining area was full. Ten full chairs and two that had been left alone, most likely for Val and Palpatine. 

The Imperials sitting at the table all turned, rising to greet their Emperor. Val didn’t recognize any of the men and women, and she was glad. She could feel their eyes on her - judgemental gazes, questioning gazes, and in the case of several men, lustful gazes. She wondered if they knew that she, and Palpatine, could sense their lewd and rude thoughts. 

“We have much to discuss,” Palpatine rasped. His voice pulled all attention away from Val and back to him. For that, she was glad.

Val tuned out most of what they spoke about. It wasn’t like she cared. Palpatine gave the appearance that she would be ruling the Empire alongside him as his advisor and lover, but in reality, Val knew it would be all on him. She would have to gain agency over time. 

There was only one Imperial who caught Val’s attention. A tall, bony man with a sharp, wolf-like scowl and twinkling eyes. When Palpatine mentioned his planet of origin as Eriadu, Val immediately sat up straighter. She met his gaze and looked away, memories of Charin Troy flooding her brain. 

The meeting concluded. It wasn’t until then that Val realized they’d been missing a key member - Vader was nowhere to be found. She let out a breath and stood, bypassing Palpatine - he caught her wrist, remaining seated. 

“Return to our bedroom. I will be there shortly.”

“Yes,” Val murmured. She pulled away, making a beeline away from the table. Several Imperials started to greet her, but she ignored them. She was halfway to her room when a large hand quickly touched her shoulder. 

She spun. Tarkin was staring down at her, his brows furrowed. 

“I was unaware that the Emperor had chosen to have a reigning consort. While he is a....charming man, I did not think he had the time to take an Empress,” 

“He has all the time in the world. He's the most powerful man in the galaxy,” Val narrowed her eyes. “And you’re right beneath him. What’s your title again?”

“ _ Grand  _ Moff.”

“Newly appointed?”

“Yes,” Tarkin bowed his head slightly. “It is a great honor.”

Val hummed. Despite his rank, he would never hold power over her. For all intents and purposes, she was equal to Palpatine himself. She said, “I’m sure Charin Troy would have been proud.”

It was a subtle jab, but Tarkin had a sharp mind. His eyes flickered across Val’s face, and he stood up straighter, towering over her. 

“Yes. It was unfortunate, what happened to Troy. He served Eriadu well, and he will not be forgotten,” Tarkin grit his teeth. “I am pleased that his killer was brought to justice.”

_ Is that what they told you?  _

“Brought to justice...yeah,” Val snorted. “The Empire treats its enemies with no mercy.”

“As it should. Weakness should not be tolerated, nor should dissenter’s from both the inside, and out,” Tarkin shifted, a wolflike grin spread across his face. “I do not know the details of what attracted the Emperor to you, but I assume the two of you share similar philosophies. Your husband can be as implacable as he is emphatic. It is in your best interest that you stand by his side and further work to ensure that this Empire has a long and fruitful existence.”

“Are you implying that I’d betray him? Bold words, Tarkin. He chose  _ me _ as his Empress. Not you.”

“What I am stating, if I may be so  _ direct _ , is that I am  _ aware _ of your past history and I am  _ wary _ of your presence. Your brutality impressed the Emperor, and myself, yet your lack of discretion is what led Vader to finding you in the first place. If you are going to be pitiless, you must do it aptly.”

“I killed a man from your planet,” Val’s lips curled back over her teeth, and she craned her neck to look directly into Tarkin’s eyes. She was almost chest to chest - or, in her case, chest to stomach - with him, and for a moment she considered what would happen if she just  _ let go. _ If she released the force within her and slaughtered Tarkin and all the officials in this palace.

It would be  _ glorious. _

“I killed Charin Troy,” Val continued. “I killed him and his family. I’d do it again if I could.”

“Troy would have been demoted, regardless. His untimely demise was rather convenient,” Tarkin’s lips quirked upwards into a smile. “Do not think that because we came from the same planet that we were...friends. He was an acquaintance, nothing more.”

Footsteps echoed down the hall and Val slid back. Palpatine was approaching, and Val felt him briefly soap up the hostility - it was palpable, Tarkin’s very obvious dislike, yet very obvious interest in the smaller woman before him. 

“Emperor,” Tarkin bowed respectively, and Palpatine chuckled. 

“We should enjoy tea later, Wilhuff. I look forward to hearing about your most recent expedition back to Eriadu,” Palpatine’s yellow eyes flickered to Val. “My consort was not holding you up, was she?”

“She and I were just getting acquainted. “

“ _Good_ ,” Palpatine pressed a palm against the small of Val’s back. 

Tarkin excused himself, and Val couldn’t help but glare daggers into his back. Palpatine gave a low chuckle, rubbing her back as she watched Tarkin disappear around a corner. 

“Tarkin is far too clever for his own good. He would have discovered the truth, if only by accident,” Palpatine murmured. “I thought it best to tell him of your...unsavory history. He will no longer question why I chose you to lead by my side.”

“He chastised me. Told me that I lacked tact.”

“He spoke the truth. A truth that you seem to ignore when spoken by me, or by Lord Vader,” Palpatine gripped the back of her dress in a vice grip. Val squirmed. “Cement his words into your brain _ , wife _ .”

“Yes. I will.”

“Now, come. I wish to retire for the night.”

* * *

It was a lie - Palpatine never meant to retire, to sleep, and Val had known that. Yet, she’d followed him blindly anyway, like she always did, wishing for something different. 

She could see out the open window and onto the balcony. She’d convinced Palpatine to leave it open, as the moon provided all the light they needed and it gave an excellent view to the lake. It complimented the tightness in her limbs as Palpatine tossed Val’s leg over his shoulder, shifting his hips a bit and ah,  _ there _ , a better angle to drive into her. 

He snarled and Val raked her nails down his chest so hard that it left deep grooves in his grey skin. He bared his teeth and laughed at the pain, one hand sneaking its way around Val’s throat. He squeezing ever so lightly, watching as Val’s eyes widened. 

Panting, moaning, crying - every noise imaginable was escaping her. She called out his name like a prayer and he just gave that deep, cackling laugh, canting his hips so he was driving deeper into her. 

“Hit me,” Val moaned. Palpatine reared back and did just that, the hand around Val’s neck connecting solidly with her cheek. She let out a grasp, mouth open in frenzied pleasure. “Again, please. Again.” 

He hit her again. Val tilted her hips upward and arched her back. 

“You’re _dirty_ ,” Palpatine cooed. “I ought to punish you for that.”

“If you punish me, I’ll just enjoy it,” Val sneered. Palpatine gave a breathy laugh, amused by her retort. 

He finished first, grunting through his orgasm, continuing to drive into Val until she, too, joined him in release. 

He collapsed on his side next to Val, lazily tossing an arm across her waist. Val only had the strength to lay there, her chest rising and falling with each long breath. Her cunt ached and she knew that tomorrow bruises would begin to form on her thighs from how hard he’d been gripping at her. She was floating somewhere between soft pain and intense pleasure - the combination was borderline intoxicating. 

Eventually Palpatine rose, donning his robes and requesting that his service droid bring them dinner. They at in relative silence, Val poking around at her dish while Palpatine, as he usually did, barely had anything on his plate in the first place. 

“Remember, back on Coruscant, when you used to take me to those lavish, expensive restaurants? They’d give us our own private area,” Val snorted. “You’d shower me with good food and conversation about art and architecture. I enjoyed it. I loved it. I really, really did. I guess my point is that I enjoyed that. I’m not enjoying this.”

“Then we will do something that is mutually pleasurable to us both.”

“Not sex-”

“No. I don’t wish to sleep with you again until later,” Palpatine stood, pushing his plate to the side and gesturing for Val to do the same. He looked her up and down, his eyes raking across her gown.“Don something less...noticeable.”

“Where are we going?”

“A walk,” Palpatine said flippantly. Val scrambled to dress, slipping on a casual pair of trousers and a tunic, the sleeves long and comfortable. Val followed Palpatine out the door, curious, yet wary when he dismissed his guards and stated that this little expedition, whatever it was, would not require any security. 

Val had never walked the streets of Moenia, but now, Palpatine was giving her the opportunity. At night, it was even more stunning - every light source was intricately placed, each building seemingly designed for the space it was in. Everything was intentional - every dip and curve and crevice, every stairway. Val looped an arm around Palpatine, sticking close to him as they walked. Only a few people gazed curiously at Palpatine, having caught a glimpse of his appearance, yet nobody seemed to know or even bother to realize that the most powerful man in the galaxy was here, walking amongst them. 

“You enjoy the architecture, don’t you?” 

“It’s an artists city. Architects are artists, so I expected the city to reflect that,” Val paused as they reached the marketplace. It was still rather lively at night. It reminded her of Alderaan’s many markets and public squared that never seemed to quiet down. “I like it. I’d...if things weren’t so hectic maybe I’d consider calling this place home.”

“I will keep this city intact for you, then. Consider it a gift,” Palpatine murmured. “While I appreciate the art, it’s always the  _ artists  _ that are prone to rebellion. They  _ think _ far too much for their own good.”

“Thank you,” Val whispered. 

“Come,” Palpatine steered her away from the market. He seemed to have set his sights on something, or someone, and was following at a safe distance. The man in question was well-dressed, tall, with a sharp appearance and dark eyes. The look was typical for a Naboo citizens, and Val wondered what was so special about him that it had caught the Emperor’s attention.

“We have found our target.”

“Target?” 

“Yes,” Palpatine untwined his arm from around Val’s. “Go after him. Hunt.”

Val froze. She very nearly lost sight of the man, but Palpatine nudged her forward and her feet seemed to move on their own. She’d done this before. These were her days on Coruscant, stalking Imperial officers. 

Absently, she loosened the ties on the front of her shirt, exposing a sliver of her chest. Her fingers clenched and unclenched as she followed the man. He turned into a back alley, seemingly stopping to lean against a wall to gather his thoughts. 

Val approached, tugging at her shirt to reveal her chest a bit more. The Naboo man didn’t hide his lustful gaze, and Val could practically feel the desire oozing from him. He stood up straight, bowing slightly to Val. 

“If you’re here to request that I sleep with you, I unfortunately have obligated elsewhere.”

“She isn’t here, is she?” 

“A wife is a wife regardless of whether or not she’s around,” the Naboo man shrugged, and Val gnawed on her lower lip. She stepped closer, a smile creeping across her face.

“Is there something I could do to persuade you? Give you a taste, perhaps?”

A wicked grin was returned. Val reached out and toyed with his trousers, her palm brushing against his clothed hardness.

Something brushed against the recesses of her mind. She knew immediately it was Palpatine, and that he was watching, somewhere. The slight jab was a warning.

Val removed her hand and, with one sharp thought, called upon the force and slammed the man against the brick alley wall so hard that Val could _ hear  _ his skull crack. His mouth was open in a silent scream, his once lustful gaze transformed into one of sheer terror. 

_ Clench. _

Val clenched. Bones popped. An eye burst from its socket. Without even touching him, Val ground the man into a misshapen mess. It was like he wasn’t even human. Like a giant hand had come and wrung him dry. 

The body dropped, hard. Val was left standing, staring. 

She didn’t know how long she stayed there. Eventually, she felt a warm hand wrap around her from behind. Palpatine buried his face against her neck, exhaling. 

_ “Good.  _ How did it feel?”

“It felt nice. It felt right,” Val said. “But I still feel _sick_.” 

"You are still not accustomed to such brutality, and the force is still relatively unfamiliar to you. In time, all doubt will cease,” Palpatine murmured. “You must be patient.”

“I wish to return to your estate. I don’t...I can’t be out here.”

“Very well,” Palpatine grasped Val’s arm and pulled her away. They blended back into the throng of townspeople, and in the distance, Val heard several shouts. The body would not go undiscovered. By that time, however, Val and Palpatine were far away. 

They returned to the Estate. Val had flecks of blood on her clothes, barely noticeable - she stripped immediately, ignoring Palpatine’s heavy gaze. 

“No mercy is to ever be shown,” Palpatine said coolly. “The thought should never cross your mind.”

“Stop lecturing me like I’m Vader,” Val spat. 

Palpatine stopped. A smile spread across his face, and, lightning fast, he strode over to Val and grabbed her face with one hand. His nails bit into her skin and he forcefully tilted her head upwards. 

“I will lecture you as I please, and you’d do well to listen,” Palpatine hissed. “When I hand you off to Vader, I will still be your master.”

He released Val, and she rubbed her reddened cheeks. He turned, and began undressing as well. 

They went about their nightly routine, bathing, though this time in silence. Val didn’t know if it was the numbness - the killing hadn’t fazed her. It was almost like she’d been clinging and forcing herself to feel something. Death was so ingrained into her, now. It was a part of her.

It always had been. 

As Palpatine sat on the bed, Val came to stand between his legs. She peeled off her nightgown, leaned down, and pressed her mouth against his. He did not reciprocate. 

“You are attempting to placate me with sex.”

“Yes,” Val murmured. “A Sith has to use everything available to her.”

“You are not truly Sith. Not yet,” Palpatine raised a hand when Val opened her mouth to argue. “I fear you never will be. Your morality is still regulating your conduct.”

“You sensed hesitation in me back there, but I promise you, that hesitation was borne out of fear. I will kill as many as I need to numb myself to such unease.”

“Did you hesitate when you slaughtered Sate Pestage?”  
Val cast her eyes down at the floor. Palpatine gingerly lifted her chin, the gesture so different from before. 

“You must find that rage,” Palpatine continued. “The rage that compelled you to end  _ hundreds _ of lives. You did not have the force on your side then, but you did now. You will be more powerful than Vader could ever be.”

“Is that what you want?” 

“It’s what I hope,” Palpatine murmured. He released her, taking on a more relaxed posture. “Now, you may continue your advancements.”

There was no slapping this time. No harsh touches. Val wanted him to make love to her, tenderly, and he could feel that within her. Surprisingly, he obliged. His fingers slipped between her legs, curling into her. She moaned. 

He was gentle with her. He massaged her until she was ready, allowing Val’s nimble fingers to grasp his cock and pull it from the confines of his trousers and robes. She stroked him until he was erect, until he was growling in pleasure, sharp teeth bared like that of a rabid animal. 

Their joining was quick, with Palpatine relinquishing a small amount of control and allowing Val to ride him while his fingers pinched her skin and gripped her ass. He came first, lying boneless as Val chased after him. She curled against him, pressing her mouth against his neck and squeezing the pillows so hard that her knuckles began to ache. Then, it was over.

Val pressed a soft kiss against the side of Palpatine’s mouth, rolling onto her back, joining him in staring up at the tall ceiling. 

“I love you,” Val murmured. “I know I’ve said it before. But I love you, even now. I want you to return that love. That’s all I want and crave.”

“There are more important things to focus your mind on.”

“My mind is focused on _ you. _ I want to hear you say those words.”

“If it is so important to you, you will have to earn it,” Palpatine rasped. “You are still unsure. To unsure. In time, you will thank me.” 

Val stared at Palpatine. He closed his eyes and let out a soft breath. 

She wanted to slap him.

She rolled out of bed. Palpatine did not stop her. He just lay, blankets settled around his waist, in bed. Val stumbled to the refresher and furiously scrubbed at her face, praying that the cold water would wash away whatever sickness she’d begun to feel. 

When she looked up, a pair of yellow eyes stared back at her.

She  _ gasped. _

The refresher mirror cracked, a jagged line appearing across the mirror. Val’s head swam - her first instinct had been to destroy the creature looking back at her. The beast with yellow eyes on a face that was so familiarly  _ her _ , yet so unfamiliar at the same time. 

_ You’ll be a beast.  _

_ Forever.  _

_ He won’t love you until you’re like him. _

Val slammed the refresher door. Palpatine’s eyes cracked open, but he made no movement as Val gathered her cloak and slipped it on over her nightgown. Stepping into a pair of clean boots, she stormed out of the bedroom. 


	18. Chapter 18

Val began walking. She wasn’t sure where she was going. The place was empty, save for Palpatine’s ever vigilant guards. Most of the Imperials had left, and the only other resident was exactly who Val needed to see.

She found him, relaxing in his own private corner of the mansion. The Redrobes standing guard allowed her to enter, and once again she found herself staring at a bacta tank.

It was empty. 

“You come to me in your times of trouble. Why is that?” 

Val steeled herself before turning to face Vader. He was sitting next to his tank. Save for the red modules on his armored chest, he practically blended in with the shadows. To anyone else, the sight would have been terrifying. To Val, it was just...him.

“Anakin,” Val murmured. Vader did not correct her, for once, and nodded for her to continue. “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t live like this.”

“You’re giving up?” 

Val’s feet moved, carrying her over to Vader. Her knees suddenly buckled and she sank to the floor before him. 

“You’re the only one I have left. I know I’ll never see Obi-Wan again. I should have gone with him,” Val shook her head furiously. “I should have...he wanted me to run away with him, but I didn’t. I’m sick, Anakin. I’m sick and I have to...you have to do it. You have to kill me before I become like _him_.”

Vader said nothing. Val placed a trembling hand against his plated knee.

“I want you to kill me. Please. _Kill me_.”

Vader stood abruptly. Val’s hand slipped away, and she scrambled back. Lightning quick, he drew his lightsaber, casting a brilliant, crimson glow throughout the dim room. 

The saber’s tip stopped an inch from Val’s throat. 

“I would certainly lose my masters favor if I killed you,” Vader hissed. “Yet, I _want_ to give you what you so desperately have requested from me, if not to save my own life.”

“ _Do it_. It won’t matter in the end...he’ll find someone else, someone better-”

“But you are not replaceable, Val. Not to him.” The bright light disappeared. Vader tucked his saber away, reaching down to roughly grab Val by the front of her cloak. He pulled her to her feet and snarled, “I will not make this choice for you.”

“You can’t do it.”

Vader’s grip tightened, a warning. Val ignored it.

“ _You can’t do it_ ,” Val repeated. She leaned forward, her lips inches away from his mask. “You can’t bring yourself to kill me.” 

“If you are to die, it will be by your own hand, or it will be at the hand of my master,” Vader said lowly. “That is the nature of things.”

He released her. Val stumbled back, and Vader returned to his chair. His hands tightened around the arms, and once again, Val wished she could see his face, no matter how disfigured it may be. 

Though she couldn’t see, she could feel. Vader was good at hiding his emotions, but Val knew him - knew Anakin - well enough. Some traits could never be buried, and Val could sense little cracks in the darkness within him that had yet to smooth over. 

_ There is still good in you, Anakin Skywalker.  _

Val nodded. She stepped back, her mouth suddenly very, very dry.

“If...that is the nature of things, then I will not fight it."

“You still have a choice.”

“I know.”

* * *

Val walked back to her room. Palpatine was up, meditating. Val slipped into bed and did not say a word. Her hands were shaking and she could suddenly feel Palpatine’s eyes on her. 

“Your conversation with Vader was fruitful, I presume?”

“Yes,” Val said dryly. 

“You are still upset with me.”

“I am.”

“That’s quite alright,” Palpatine closed his eyes and continued meditating. “The anger will be good for you.”

Val leaned down and pressed her lips against Palpatine's thin mouth. Grey fingers rose to stroke her cheek as she pulled away and lay against him, eventually drifted to sleep. She had no idea how long he stayed up, deep in a mediation-induced trance. Sometimes she wondered what he saw, what he dreamt about. She didn’t dare ask and she didn’t dare poke at his mind. He would for sure punish her. 

For once, Val did not wake up alone. Strong arms were wrapped around her, and she could feel the slightest brush of Palpatine’s breathing against the back of her neck. 

Val gingerly detached herself from her her lover - the man she’d been enthralled with for so long. They had yet to be wed by Sith ritual and already the connection was so strong that it was so, so easy for Val to refer to him as her life partner. 

_ You still have a choice. _

She slid from the bed and drunkenly, yet quietly, found the ceremonial Sith knife in a dresser over in the corner of the room. Palpatine stirred a bit, but did not get up - he appeared to still be asleep. 

_ Do it.  _

Val staggered over to the bed, her eyes leaking tears like a faulty faucet. Palpatine’s arm moved but she was already there, already so close to her goal -

She brought the knife down. One gnarled hand reached out to grab her wrist, but Palpatine was late - he only managed to deflect the blade. Instead of plunging into his heart, the knife dug deep into his shoulder, all the way to the hilt. 

He cried out. His agony was real, practically tangible. For a brief few moments Val relished in the fact that she was finally, _ finally _ , bringing him pain. 

Blood red sheets became speckled with dark spots. Palpatine yanked the knife free and tossed it to the side, his free hand wrapping around Val’s throat. He stood, dragging Val from the bed with him. 

For once, he was speechless. Yellow eyes were wide with rage, disbelief, and something akin to heartbreak. 

“You simply cannot be trusted, can you?”

Val could hear his blood dripping onto the carpet. The front of his white shirt was stained, but the wound did not seem to deter him. 

She said nothing. 

Palpatine shook her. His grip on her was crushing, and she was slowly losing air. He wouldn’t kill her, no, he’d choke her into unconsciousness and she’d wake up in hell.

She had to end this. 

Val knew where he kept his lightsaber. It was in the nightstand, in the drawer on his side of the bed. Always. Always near him, and by default, always near her. She reached out with the force and slid the drawer open from halfway across the room. 

“I should end your life, yet for some reason, I continue to spend my time attempting to  _ make you see _ ?”

He shook her again and Val nearly lost her concentration. The drawer was almost open and she could see his saber slowly rising, and then shooting towards her -

She caught it and ignited the flaming red sword through the center of her own torso.

Her knee buckled. Palpatine feel with her and he snarled, yanking the saber from her hand and tossing it away. The burning hole through her had felt like a punch to the gut, and Palpatine releasing her throat barely did any good. 

The sound that came out of Palpatine’s mouth could only be described as inhuman. He hung over her, one wrinkled hand pressing against the gaping, leaking wound. 

Val smiled. 

“ _ This was not your choice to make _ !” Palpatine croaked. “You will not -  _ you can’t _ -” 

“I did.”

_ “No,”  _ it was a long, low, drawn out sound. Palpatine’s nails dug into her skin, yellow eyes ablaze with a fire Val had never seen before. It wasn’t grief. It couldn’t be grief. Grief was melancholy and dark. This was so, so bright, yet there was no other emotion it could be. Sith’s never did anything halfway - that much Val knew. His hands grasped either side of her face, one clean, the other dripping with blood. 

“I’m sorry,” Val stammered. Speaking was becoming difficult, her words slurred. It finally dawned on her that death was in front of her, and that she was ready. She’d always been ready. “I just...I just want you to hold me. Please. Hold me.” 

He held her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So....this is the end. I uh. Yeah. It's honestly not as dark as I'd originally planned it, but I didn't feel as if Val's story ever would have the happy ending she wanted. This was my first time writing for Star Wars, and I had a fun time exploring these characters and how someone like Palpatine can ruin a person. 
> 
> Anywho, I hope you enjoyed!


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